Tunes with Tony Masen
by Just4ALE
Summary: Our late night calls were fascinating. His attitude in person was frustrating. Stupid radio host with the velvety, seductive voice. Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? Will the real Tony Masen please stand up? AH. Drama/Mystery/Romance
1. A Flash Forward: Styx

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

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**A Flash Forward **

**Styx: Renegade**

**_#_  
**

"I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue," I muttered as I took off running.

_I swiped that tube of Super Glue from his desk before we ran. Does glue even have a smell these days? Does it smell nice like dry erase markers? Is it like how chloroform is supposed to smell? I would think they'd have the technology to make it odorless and non-toxic, but who knows? I could open it... _

I heard the sound of the engine speeding up somewhere behind me. Legs versus wheels. Not exactly a fair fight.

_Why the hell did I even grab it anyway? It's not like I've had to glue anything together in a long time. I'd say, in general, I'm a stapler or tape kinda gal. Yeah, even paper clips suffice when need-be._

I willed my feet to keep going despite my seemingly endless state of panic.

_Wait, who cares whether I glue, staple, or tape? And why am I thinking of 80's movie lines in the middle of this craziness? What the hell?_

_Distraction! Distract yourself from the danger closing in on you, you fool!_

I made it out of the open parking lot areas as soon as I saw the black SUV enter this section of the park, and ran for the woods. I scrambled through the eucalyptus trees, thankful he'd convinced me to wear green and brown today, forgoing my usual black. At least dressed like this, I had a chance of blending in a little.

_What are the other lines? Are they any more relevant?_

"'…wrong week to stop smoking… to stop drinking… to stop taking amphetamines.'"

Nah. None of those were applicable even in my wildest dreams. I wasn't a smoker, was basically a teetotaler, and forget about drugs.

Now I wished I'd done those things. Fuck, I had a honkin' big list of things I wished I'd done before I died.

_Hey, look at me! I __thought__ the word 'fuck'! Glad to know he's had such a profound effect on me already!_

Another bullet went whizzing by, about five feet away. _Holy crap! Where IS he? He said he'd be right back! Why did he drag us to the Presidio? We need to be far the hell away from San Francisco right freakin' now! _

I was scrambling up the hill through the dead eucalyptus leaves, keeping the Park Trail path in sight to give me a general sense of the direction I needed to go. I ducked and weaved, praising the fog that was rolling in as I hid behind trees to avoid being in view of the car down below. I hadn't been to the Presidio recently but I thought if I made my way up to the top of the hill, I'd hit 101 somewhere near the Golden Gate Bridge. I struggled to keep my thoughts focused. Where was I going? Could they follow me this way or was there another way up for them? If he came back, would he be able to track me?

I should have never listened to my girlfriends.

"I think Jasper is right, sweetie. You need to start living life again. Go for it!"

"You're a shoe-in to win: you're the queen of riddles and puzzles, you geek!"

_Yeah, thanks gals. Thanks a lot._

I should have stayed in the damn apartment.

Who was I kidding? Sitting in that apartment was what got me into this mess in the first place…

_~twtm~_

"_Well, it appears we have some night-owl Steelers fans here on the left coast. Mark from the Mission asked me to play Styx's Renegade for him in honor of the Steelers-Chargers game this weekend. Well Mark, I'll play the song for your pansy-ass team's defense, but only after someone answers my question._

_Riddle me this, Batman: How many of the original members are still part of the band today? It's not as obvious as you might think…"_

_~#~_

Stupid radio program. Stupid velvety, seductive voice that kept me up listening until the wee morning hours. Yeah, I knew the answer and I had called in.

_The jig is up, the news is out, they finally found me…_

Who the hell "they" were and why they were after me was all part of the mystery.

So here I was, running for my life. And at that moment, I only knew one thing for certain…

If we made it out of this alive, I was going to kill Tony-Fucking-Masen.

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**A/N: Hi! *waves* New story. Very different from the American Vampire Series. How? Well, a human story. There's a woman. There's a late-night 70's radio host. They talk. Eventually, they meet.  
**

**The DJ does take requests - although he has some VERY strong opinions - so if you have any favorite 70s bands/songs to suggest, they might be used in later chapters.**

**I hope you'll stick around to read.  
**

**Thanks to the Irritable Grizzzly for her beta-tude. **

_Post A/N: Also not mine – Lines from the movie Airplane and lyric references from Styx's Renegade._


	2. Eagles

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

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**Chapter 1 **

**Eagles: Lyin' Eyes**

**#  
**

"I'm sorry I'm late, Mr. Cheney. I- I had car problems," Erik stuttered.

_Liar, liar, pants on fire._

"You drove in?" I could hear the doubt in my boss's voice.

"Uh, yes sir. I had to drive in today…"

I listened to the conversation going on outside my cubicle. I didn't even need to look at him to know. I could hear it in his voice. It was gift, likely mapped onto my DNA at conception.

"Don't you usually take BART?"

"Yes…" He paused for a moment then continued, "But I need to be down on the Peninsula tonight after work."

_"You can always tell when something isn't right, sweetheart. Most people give it away too easily," _my dad's voice said in my head.

Our boss was silent. Oh, he knew how to play this too. The bad liars kept on talking. Making up more crap. Hanging themselves.

Erik was a bad liar. "Yeah, meeting some friends, down in, uh, Burlingame?"

Grandma's voice joined my dad's. _"Baby bird, people always have 'tells'. The trick is spotting them."_

Tell one: the 'uhs'. He was nervous.

_Oh, Erik, you should have stopped at the Peninsula. You're going down in flames._

I felt my cubicle shake a little. I sat up and tore my eyes from my computer screen and saw that Ben Cheney had just placed his hand on my cubicle wall. I looked back down at my notes and continued typing.

The painful conversation went on. "Really?" he asked. "I used to live there before I moved to the city with my wife. Where are you going?"

"What?" Erik asked.

"Where are you meeting them?"

"Uh, we haven't figured it out yet. It was just a meeting spot."

"Ah, I see. Will your car make it?"

"What?"

Tell two: The "what". A 'what' could mean he really didn't hear the question or that he was taken by surprise, but given the 'uhs' it was more likely that he was stalling.

My inner Samuel L. Jackson was 'tsk-ing' and getting ready to point a gun at Erik's head. _Say what again! I dare you, I double-dare you, mother… EFFer! Say what again! _

"I said 'will your car make it?'" Ben enunciated slowly. "You said you had car problems which was why you were late. Once again."

"Uh, my neighbor gave me a jump."

_Jeez, the uhs are giving you away, you fool!_

I looked at Erik and rolled my eyes. He was looking around a lot and in many directions, but NOT at Ben.

Tell three: not making eye contact.

_You can't hide your lyin' eyes._

"Well, lucky that you had neighbors who were also late for work then, huh?" Ben sighed. "Erik, this is the third time this month. I ask that you make a better effort to be on time or you'll be on probation."

"Yes, Mr. Cheney." Erik looked at me as he turned, smirked as if he'd just pulled one over on the boss, and then scurried to his cubicle down the hall. I shook my head in disbelief, looked back down at my computer and continued to work.

"Isabella?"

I looked up to see Ben still standing there.

"Yes?"

"Could I see you in my office?"

"Sure." I picked up a pad and pen and followed him down the hall past his assistant. I stepped into his office and he closed the door behind me. Then he sat down behind his desk.

"Isabella-"

"Ben, just Iz when we're alone, okay?"

He smiled. "Iz, have you given any more thought to my offer? I really need you here."

I sighed and sat down. "Yes, I've been thinking about it. I'm just not sure."

"You've been with us now for six months and you've done wonders for moving us along on the analyses. I'm more than willing to make it a full-time permanent position."

"I know. You've been great and I really appreciate the offer…" I paused. How did one tell her boss, the husband of one of her only friends, that she couldn't commit because she might bolt any day?

You pulled a Nike. I hated liars. "I'd prefer to keep our contract basis for now until I'm sure I'll be staying here in San Francisco."

He looked horrified. "What? You might leave? Are you trying to kill me? Does Angela know?"

"Well, possibly, no, and I don't know," I said answering his questions. He blinked at me as he registered my answers. "She might suspect, and she might not. We haven't really talked about it."

"Oh, gosh Iz, if this is about the money, I can look into getting the salary raised."

I held up my hand to stop him. "Ben, no. It isn't the money. I'm just in transition. I was lucky to have stumbled on this job when I moved out here and you and Ange have been great to me. I'm taking it one day at a time, but I promise I'll let you know as soon as I'm sure."

He nodded. "Please talk to me before you decide to take off. I really think you have a future here."

"Thanks." I looked at my watch and then stood up. "Hey, if you don't mind, I'm gonna grab an early lunch. I'll be back soon."

Ben smiled. "Not a problem. Go ahead."

I stopped at my desk to get my bag and then made a quick exit, avoiding passing by Erik's cube. I didn't want him trying to tag along with me again. Making my way down Market, the smell of freshly baked cookies and breads called my name. My craving for comfort food made me cross over Battery to stop at Specialty's Bakery. Since it was only eleven a.m., I was ahead of the lunch rush so my wait wasn't long. Afterward, I continued down Market until I made it to Justin Herman Plaza where I plopped myself down on an empty bench and stared out toward the Ferry Building.

It was late April in San Francisco and the weather was lovely. Spring here really was nice. I opened my lunch bag and took a big sniff. The smells of the turkey and cranberry sandwich and the nice warm snickerdoodle were delicious, but my stomach was churning. The conversation with Ben had made me a little nervous and my appetite was iffy. With an uncomfortable chuckle, I was suddenly aware that I'd selected food that reminded me of my grandma.

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Whenever I needed to clear my head, I sat in a public place and just listened to the sounds of other conversations. I opened my eyes, relaxed, and let the voices wash over me. I took in my surroundings.

A couple sat on a bench near me arguing. A trio of women went past me discussing their upcoming plans for the weekend. Others walked briskly, engrossed in their cell phone conversations.

People-watching was a favorite pastime of my grandma's. In her last few years as she deteriorated, watching substituted for listening. My dad got his useful discerning skills from Grams. It was the family joke that our last name should have been Hawk.

I closed my eyes again and listened to the pitch and tone of the people's voices. My liar radar went off again and I peeked over at the couple nearby. Their conversation was tense and neither was particularly forthcoming with answers to each other's questions. It was amazing how much people liked to hide themselves. Because most people were so unobservant, it was easy to do.

Lucky for me, Dad and Grams had taught me to watch and listen. By the time I was seven, I could tell when my parents were keeping things from me, much to their dismay. I even knew something was up with Santa, but I let that one go.

"Hey, Michael! You're looking good," a woman's voice rang out nearby.

My eyes snapped open as I froze and held my breath. It was a silly, irrational reaction, but just hearing another woman say his name could set me off.

"Hey Gail, nice to see you!"

I exhaled, feeling even sillier. I knew it wouldn't be him. He was back in Boston living his happy little life.

~#~

I was in elementary school when I first met Mike Newton. He was three years older but only one grade ahead since I had skipped second grade and he started school late. I knew who he was: a popular kid who played sports and hung with the 'in' crowd. He never really noticed me. Not that I cared: I was a shy girl who liked books rather than socializing and boys were just… boys.

We overlapped again in middle school and then he went on to become Mr. Popularity in high school. I moved to Phoenix about a year later and bypassed the joy that was Forks High altogether.

Oddly it was a random encounter at a party at Harvard eight years later that brought us together. Dartmouth's football team was playing Harvard and my roommate Diana finally convinced me to get away and make a road trip with her to attend the game. Her best friend Bree and her boyfriend Riley both attended Harvard and so we were each guaranteed a place to stay. I decided to go and check out the campus, figuring I could kill two birds with one stone since I was interested in Harvard's School of Education.

It was at a party at Winthrop House, where Bree lived, that I ran into Mike. He was a first-year at Harvard Law School and he had been invited by two girls who met him at a tail-gate before the football game. He recognized me instantly; I couldn't place him, despite the similarity between the cute boy I last saw surrounded by girls when I was in seventh grade and the all-American, blond guy handing me a beer. I'd blocked out a lot of my life in Forks. It felt like it had been a century before and what I did remember was hazy.

Ever the charmer, Mike spent the entire party chatting with me and catching up on the past eight years. When Diana and her friends moved on to go to 'Scorpion bowling' at the Hong Kong, I opted out. I didn't have a fake ID and was only twenty. Mike stayed with me and instead took me to Pinocchio's for a slice of pizza. By the time I left the next day, he was insisting that I come to Harvard for my Masters.

The rest of the school year was a blur. Mike courted me long-distance and we managed to see each other once a month, one of us making the trip to visit the other. The next year, I moved into a nice apartment with one of his law school classmates, Leah, as I worked toward my Masters in Learning and Teaching. Mike thought it was a foolish career choice, but I just let him grumble about it as I enjoyed my studies.

Between his schedule and mine, we only managed to see each other on weekends, with an occasional dinner during the week. He proposed to me at Christmas, surrounded by his family, a year and three months after we met. Mike wasn't from a wealthy family, so we planned a small wedding in late June. I was only twenty-one when we said 'I do.'

The proposal and marriage changed all my plans. Mike and I were buried in student loans and we were going to need to find an apartment together and pay rent. I put my teaching plans on hold and found a job in Boston as an analyst at a litigation consulting firm. My job required no legal background and only the ability to think and analyze data. Despite my undergrad degree in English and my Masters in Education, I proved my abilities quickly.

Two years later, my hours were long and my travel schedule heavy, having been assigned to help in the Menlo Park office on some big projects. Mike was a first-year associate at a prestigious law firm, working long hours as well, and forcing me to attend as many office functions with him as possible to schmooze with the partners. He always introduced me as Isabella, and not "Bella" opting for my formal, more impressive name. Of course, in private he called me by his pet name for me; 'B'.

It was around the time that he entered his second year of slavery that my 'spidey senses' began to ring the silent alarms. Mike stopped having me attend the office functions, claiming I didn't like going to them anyway. The sex was less frequent but we were both so busy, I chalked it up to being distracted.

Yeah, that's what you try to convince yourself of when your husband's tells start looking like a neon sign.

When he said he needed to work late, he'd look down and wiggle his watch as he spoke. When I asked if we could plan brunch with some friends over the weekend, he'd give me a sad smile and then rub his forehead absentmindedly with his right hand as he told me he'd have to work.

… _and your smile is a thin disguise…_

But when he started calling me 'BB', the silent alarm wasn't so silent anymore.

…_Thought by now you'd realize, there ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes…_

And when you walk in on your husband and the paralegal groping each other on his desk when you stop by to see if he's free for lunch, you know that your suspicions have been confirmed.

As it turned out, my walking in on them was no accident. I was friendly with his assistant, Jessica; I'd made sure that Mike got her spa days and restaurant gift certificates when he made her work those insane hours that he had. She had been frustrated at Mike's behavior for the past several months, watching him cheat on me. When I called to see if he was free, she'd told me yes even though she knew he'd scheduled the parawhore, Lauren, for his lunchtime delights. When I got there, she made a pretense of needing my help to show her how to take a photo with her Blackberry. I showed her with mine… which is how I happened to have it in my hand when I walked in and also how I happened to snap their photo with Lauren's hand down Mike's pants as he palmed a breast after Jessica told me to go on in, knowing what I'd walk in on.

Of course he blamed me. When we first married, I was so busy with the new job, I didn't have time for him. Then he said I wasn't into sex and I just didn't understand his needs. Lauren put him first and they were more sexually compatible.

The work part pissed me off. I was working long hours because he was still in school studying all the time and because we needed money for rent and food. I wasn't doing the job I'd gone to school for; I was working for his needs! I had put him first.

So this really was about sex… and I was less confident in that department. He was correct: I wasn't into it. I often found my mind wandering whenever we'd been together and when it started to slack off, frankly I wasn't feeling like I was missing out. He was only my second sexual experience – my first being a boyfriend I'd had during my junior year at college – so I didn't have much to compare to. However, after two different partners, clearly I was the common denominator in my lack of sexual fulfillment.

While he chose one of his firm's junior partners to represent him, I had no one. My former roommate Leah had moved to San Francisco shortly after graduation and was licensed to practice in California. However, she recommended another classmate, and between the two women, I made out okay. We finalized the paperwork on September 13, 2009. _Another great birthday for me!_ Divorced at the ripe old age of twenty-six, but free of that lying, cheating asshole.

"Hello, Tom? It's Joe Miller." A guy's voice snapped me out of my reverie. I looked and noticed him walking in my direction, eyeing the empty seat next to me on the bench. "I'm fine thanks, you?" The guy looked like a 'Joe'.

He sat next to me and continued his conversation. He was being screened by a recruiter. There was no caginess, no pretense. I detected nothing off in his voice or body language. It was nice to see.

_That's me, a walking, talking lie detector. _

Great skill. Look where it got me. I was sitting alone in a strange city over seven months after my divorce, debating whether I should stay. I was frozen in place, haunted by the past. I was stagnant, never looking ahead but just existing day-to-day.

_I don't have to go back to the office,_ my chicken-self said._ I've kind of given Ben the heads-up already. If I keep walking, I'll hit the state line in a few weeks._

_No, _my brave-self argued. _Enough. It's time to give up the ghost._

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply as I acknowledged this notion. If I did, maybe I'd sleep more than four hours a night.

_Sure,_ my sensible-self practically snorted, _your DJ friend would have to stop being so damn entertaining and that voice would have to come down with a severe case of laryngitis to stop your late night antics, Ms. Newton. _

Ah, that voice! That voice could read the phone book to me and I'd stay up listening. The fact that the voice enthralled me with difficult questions and interesting factoids was just the icing on the cake. Last night he had stumped me...

_~twtm~_

"_Okay, you night owls: I've got a good one for you tonight. _

_This band's original Greatest Hits album is the biggest selling album in America to this day, selling twenty-nine-million copies. _

_Multi-part question: Name the band and the original members. Tell me who they were the back-up band for before officially forming the group. And finally, tell me which country singer is credited with getting the band back together for their Hell Freezes Over tour._

_First listener to get them all correct gets… my admiration." _

_~#~_

I had called in, but while I knew the Eagles had no 'the' in their name and that they'd gotten together at first to be Linda Ronstadt's backing group, Tony didn't give credit for partial answers. Some guy from the Inner Sunset got them all.

_Enough,_ my brave-self said. _No more._ I opened my lunch bag, pulled out the cookie and took a bite. I moaned and wiped the crumbs off my mouth and then looked at my neighbor, who was staring at me now. I offered him a small smile as I stood up and turned to walk back to the office.

_Enough running._ I had a few friends, a nice apartment and an offer of full-time employment. I ran and biked. I led a quiet life but it was still _my_ life. It was time to give up the ghost.

I finished the cookie as I stepped off the elevator and marched down the hall to my cubicle. I pulled the instructions and forms for changing my name, provided by Leah, out of my filing cabinet. Changes needed: Social Security, driver's license, bank accounts, bills, voter registration, and medical records. A lot of paperwork.

I felt a small sense of excitement and suddenly I noticed my stomach was growling. I pulled my sandwich out of its wrapping, took a bite and began filling out the forms.

_Time for a new you. _

_Isabella Marie Swan? Welcome back._

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**A/N: Hi all. So I received a few reviews indicating the opening chapter was confusing. This was intended as our heroine, at that moment, is confused as hell. How she gets to that point is part of the mystery. As with my other stories, the plot unfolds at its own little pace. **

**However, just a small heads up: my wonderful readers nominated this story for various awards in music, mystery, suspense, angst, drama, cliffies, and cockblocking, LOL. Sooo, yeah. Enjoy the ride!  
**

**Thanks to the Irritable Grizzzly for her beta-ness. Please review.**

_Post A/N: Also not mine – lyric references from Eagles' Lyin' Eyes and Samuel L. Jackson quote from Pulp Fiction._

_Answers to Tony's questions:  
- Eagles;  
- Henley, Frey, Leadon, Meisner;  
- Linda Ronstadt; and  
- Travis Tritt, when he got the band members to reunite for his video._


	3. Billy Joel

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

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**Chapter 2**

**Billy Joel: Say Goodbye to Hollywood**

**#  
**

_The dream is always the same. _

Aren't those Tom Cruise's first words in Risky Business?

Somehow, I doubted Tom's character, Joel, had the types of dreams I had. In fact, I hoped no one did.

Angela and Leah had recently decided that I needed to expand my reading tastes and they'd pointed me toward some erotic stories they'd found on the internet. When my eyes weren't bugging out of my head, I couldn't help but marvel at the great, erotic dreams that the main characters of these stories were having and how they remembered them with absolute clarity. Panting and moaning. Pounding and grunting. Bent in every direction. Shouting out at their climaxes. Vivid, sexy dreams. Clearly one needn't experience it to dream it, since even the virgins in these stories were having fun in their slumber.

_God I hope all those sexy fictional dreams are indeed… fictional, otherwise I'm seriously missing out. Do real people dream that way?_

There I was, not a sexy dream in sight. I guess my subconscious was just preoccupied with other things. I could only hope that one day I'd get to experience the great sex dream.

_Or just great sex._

"Holy dark circles under your eyes, Batman," a deep voice muttered, "What's wrong with you, Bells?"

I hadn't noticed the red pick-up truck had pulled up in front of me. He was standing on the driver's side of the car, his arms on the roof as he looked me over and frowned.

I stepped off the curb and opened the passenger door. "Nice to see you too, Jake," I said as I climbed in and buckled up and he did the same.

"Seriously, hon, you look like crap."

I tilted my head and gave him my best hairy eyeball. "So, does this pick-up line work on a lot of women?"

He chuckled. "Well, clearly."

I shrugged. "I didn't sleep well. I had a dream."

"You and MLK, Junior. But obviously your dream wasn't like his."

"No, definitely not." I wasn't quite ready to tell him about it, so I quickly changed the subject. "So why the truck today? Where's the bike?"

"I thought you might be wearing a skirt and hanging on to me is hard enough for you without worrying about exposing yourself to everyone we see."

"Well thank you for your concern, but how often do I wear skirts to work, mister?"

"Ah, one can only hope." Gesturing at my pants, he said, "I've seen your legs Bells. It's a cryin' shame to hide them."

"Sweet talking me now won't make me forget the 'you look like crap' comment. Bummer about the bike."

His brow furrowed. "I thought you didn't like to ride."

"I don't like to ride on my own, but it's fun riding with you. Plus your bike is so beautiful." It was true. Jake restored motorcycles and his was gorgeous.

"Are you saying you prefer the Triumph over Big Red?" he asked in mock indignation.

Jake's dad had given him his 'Big Red' truck and it was one of the first cars he worked on. I knew how special it was to him. "I'd never say that," I mock gasped. "Anyway, thanks for driving me this morning. You didn't have to do this."

"Aw, I feel awful sweetie. I promised you'd have your Vespa back by Friday but that part we ordered didn't come in. I gave the vendor shit for it. They've Fed-Exed it and it's supposed to be here today. Barring any more unforeseen delays, we ought to have it ready for you tonight."

"One can only hope," I said flatly.

He smiled. "Anyway, I had to head that direction-"

I cut him off. "Jacob Black, Noe Valley isn't anywhere near Potrero Hill. I could have driven to work today," I scolded.

He looked at me briefly with raised eyebrows. "Really? By the time you're done with your appointment and you make it downtown, you'd be scrambling for ridiculously expensive parking. It's Monday."

He was correct. Trying to find parking in San Francisco was generally a nightmare; coming in anytime after 9 a.m. meant paying an arm and a leg, IF you could even find an empty garage. I usually rode by bicycle to work except for the Mondays on which I had my morning appointment, when I took the Vespa.

"You may be right…" I sighed.

"…I may be crazy," Jake grinned, singing, "but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for…"

"That's an 80's song, mister. Doesn't count."

He shook his head. "Only to you and your boyfriend, sweetie. The rest of us live in the now."

"Okay, 'A' the 80's aren't 'the now'-"

"I'm just trying to coax you into the now one decade at a time…"

"and 'B'" I said loudly, trying to ignore him, "he's not my boyfriend. You know this."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You keep saying that. At some point, maybe everyone will believe you."

"It's hard to have a relationship with someone you've never met, Jacob."

He shrugged. "Women do it all the time with prisoners."

"So now you're comparing my 'hobby' to those of women infatuated with murderers? You're crazy!"

"See! It just MIGHT be a lunatic you're looking for," he said with a big grin. "Oh, hey, speaking of crazy, have you given any more thought to entering the race?"

"You were serious about that?"

"Of course! I think it would be a blast! Not to mention the publicity for the bike shop. I can't believe you're not even considering this. Your man has been talking about it for months."

I threw my hands up. "He's not my man! And he's only been talking about it because KFOG is hosting the race. It's his job."

"Whatever," he said as he pulled into a spot on 24th Street. He turned off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt, then pointed at me. "We're not done with this conversation. We'll talk more about it on the 16th and I'll convince you then."

I shook my head and got out of the car. I watched him as he made his way around to my side. "Oh, no, you are not going to talk about this the entire 7.5 miles, are you?"

He smiled widely and nodded. "I'm persistent. It's part of my charm."

I turned and walked away from him and toward Martha's. "I need caffeine. I'll buy you a double espresso if you promise to drop it."

"Hmm," I heard him say from behind me. The next thing I knew, he was back at my side; he threw his arm over my shoulder and kept pace with me. "I'll drop it for now, but only because you have to go to your appointment and I have to get going to mine. Do you think they'll have that awesome coffee cake this morning?"

~#~

Between the caffeine and spending the past forty-five minutes with Jacob, I felt rejuvenated. I made my way down the street, definitely in a lighter mood than when I started.

Jake was one of the first people I met when I moved to San Francisco. He always managed to put a smile on my face; it was a talent he'd had from the first moment we met. He owned a bike rental shop down in the Marina and I stopped in looking for some advice on the type of bicycle one should own for getting around the city. He came up with several great ideas and he pointed me toward various vendors. As I went to leave, I thanked him and finally introduced myself.

"Izzy Newton," I said, holding out my hand for the shaking.

Jake cocked his head and squinted at me. "You know, you don't really look like an Izzy," he said, "What does your family call you?"

My face broke into a huge grin. I liked him immediately.

I heard the honk of his horn as he drove past me heading to his realtor's office in Potrero Hill and I turned and waved. I was still smiling until I turned and saw Jasper standing in front of his building. He had his hands in his trouser pockets and was watching Jake's truck drive away. Then he turned to look at me with his piercing gaze. He raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips.

I rolled my eyes. _Oh boy, here we go. Not. In. The. Mood._

"Mr. Black, I presume," he said, quietly.

"Yes, that was Jacob."

"Hmm…"

"Okay, can I at least get settled in my chair before you start in on me?"

"I said nothing."

"You don't have to. I can feel your look. Besides I have better things to discuss with you this morning."

He smiled and opened the door for me, gesturing for me to enter. We made our way up the stairs where he opened his office door and I followed him in.

Although I probably should have visited a psychologist years before this, the semimonthly sessions I'd started with Jasper Whitlock when I moved to San Francisco were my first foray into therapy. I only knew what I'd seen on TV and in movies. I didn't know what I was supposed to say or how I was supposed to address him or if he could even help. Hell, I didn't know how or where I was supposed to sit!

Jasper's office was nothing like what I originally expected. The room was light and cheerful and decorated with photos he'd taken on any one of his hiking trips to various national parks. There was also wall full of history books and odd Civil War memorabilia. He had no desk; instead there was a sofa, a loveseat and two overstuffed armchairs. Originally, I thought I'd have to lie on the sofa and spill my guts to him, but one of the armchairs called to me. It became my regular seat. And once I was finally comfortable with him, we settled into a relatively easy discussion pattern.

Jasper's methods weren't typical, but that's why I picked him. I didn't want the therapist who just asked questions and never said anything. I wanted an impartial observer, but one who would actually comment on my behavior and call me out on it, bluntly if needed. I told him this from the beginning and he managed to find a good balance between the typical, and what I needed. Despite the pushing, his calm demeanor and soft voice often put me at ease. Plus he was sooo easy on the eyes.

I ambled up to my favorite chair and positioned it to face where he typically sat; I rested my head on one of the arms and threw my legs over the other, swinging them back and forth. There I waited for the "EF-hot doctor" – as Leah liked to call him – to start.

He settled into his seat, crossed his legs with an ankle resting on his opposite knee, and began. "So, better things?"

"Well, maybe 'better' isn't the word. Maybe 'more pressing things' would be more accurate," I said looking at my hands. "I had the dream again."

"Ah, that explains 'the look.'"

My head shot up. "I'm lucky I'm not vain with you and Jacob telling me I look like crap."

"I didn't say you looked like crap."

"You didn't. He did. You implied it."

He just gazed at me steadily. "So," he coaxed, "the dream? Anything different?"

"Nope. Same old, same old."

"Tell me about it."

"Do we have to? I mean, don't you know it already? It's the same one. The same crappy nightmare over and over."

I'd been having this dream since I was thirteen. It happened less frequently over the years but it still left me shaken. I wasn't sure if it wasn't my mind's way of hanging on. Jasper just stared at me and I knew I wasn't going to get out of it. I closed my eyes and began.

"I'm in the convenience store with my parents. I'm in the back looking for a small bag of Cheetos because they only have big bags in the front of the store. The gunmen come in.

My dad is near the front counter when the store owner pops up with a shot gun. I hear my dad trying to calm the situation down and then two shots ring out. My mom screams, "Charlie!" and I hear her run toward him. Another shot and then someone drops to the ground.

A worker stocking shelves at my end of the store turns to look at me and gestures for me to go. I can't move: I'm frozen to the spot. Suddenly, there's a hand over my mouth and I take a breath as if I'm going to scream. "Shhh," I hear, and I realize the worker was gesturing to the person behind me. I'm dragged backward to a dark corner where the empty boxes sit and my abductor ducks down, crouching low and folding me into a little ball with him.

"Shhh," the voice repeats quietly. I turn to look and frightened Asian eyes stare back at me. When I turn back, a shot rings out and the worker who had warned him to hide falls down in front of us.

The two gunmen start yelling at each other and they run out the front. Gunshots ring out again outside the door due to the police answering to the silent alarm that had been pushed by the owner before he was killed. Then I'm screaming as the teen's hand leaves my mouth… and I wake up from the nightmare." I opened my eyes and looked at him. "The end."

"Did you wake up crying?"

I thought about it. "No, I guess I didn't."

"That's different," he responded. I shrugged. He continued. "You haven't had the dream since Christmas. Is it Mother's Day that triggered it?"

I took a big breath and exhaled. "My parents' anniversary. May second. Yesterday." I closed my eyes and brought my hands to my face, covering my eyes. "This won't ever go away, will it?"

"The experience will never leave you, Isabella, no."

"If I took sleeping pills the weeks around the significant events like Christmas or my birthday, do you think I could avoid it?"

"How would that help?" he asked.

I removed my hands from my face, sat up in the chair and looked at him. "Uh, avoidance? Seems like a lovely solution."

"Aren't you here because you wanted to move forward and not just keep running away?"

"Yes," I said slowly, "but I fail to see how avoiding my dreams is in conflict with that goal."

"Don't you think it points toward the safe route and not taking risks?"

I was getting annoyed. "What kind of risks should I be taking? Look what happened to my parents!"

"Going into a convenience store isn't supposed to be risky behavior, Isabella. What happened to them and you was bad luck. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm not saying you should take up extreme sports. You just don't need to be wrapped up in bubble wrap all the time. Yes, it protects you, but it also isolates you from others," he paused, "and it re-enforces that secret mantra of yours."

I knew exactly what he meant. My high school yearbook quote: _So many places in and out of my life, some will last, some will just be now and then…_

I smirked at him. "Clearly it isn't secret if I told you about it," I said. He was quiet, waiting for more. "Yeah, yeah, I believe everything is transient, especially people. I mean, aren't they? I lost my parents at thirteen, my grandma at eighteen. Divorced at twenty-six. We're born alone and we die alone."

_Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes; I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again._

"But the moments in-between, and the connections we create, are what make us human. You've acknowledged that you keep people at arm's length and push them away if necessary. Look at your friendships."

"My friendships? What about them? I've made a few friends since I moved here, but I never really had a lot of close friends anyway."

"Yes, you've said. Because of your age."

"Age and circumstance. I was always a step behind-"

He cocked his head. "Do you really believe that to be true? You're always a step ahead from what you told me. You skipped two grades."

"Skipping tenth was a joy," I said sarcastically. "That left me two years younger than my classmates. No one wanted to 'hang' with the baby in high school."

"So you spent your time with your grandmother and the infamous Mr. Aro."

"Hey, he taught me a lot!" He raised his eyebrows. "What?" I asked.

"Don't you find it ironic that the daughter of a cop spent her formative teenage years picking up trade secrets from a former thief?"

"He wasn't a thief!" I argued. _Well, not until the end there._

"His occupation notwithstanding, your closest friends were your grandmother and her neighbor. You had few friendships in college and you didn't keep in touch with any of them. What about since your divorce?"

"I'm taking it a step at a time, and taking your advice, I might add," I said, pointing at him. "I'm picking up new hobbies. I ride my bike and run."

"By yourself."

"Yeah, usually. But I'm getting out there. I do Critical Mass once a month."

"Again, by yourself."

"Look, I'm still out with other people rather than hiding in my apartment where I'd actually prefer to be."

"Talking to that DJ. Do you think of that as a friendship?"

"It is to me. I haven't pushed Tony away."

"You haven't met him."

I wanted off the subject of Tony Masen right away. He was my own private friend. "I have Jacob and Nessie."

"A couple."

"I also have Angela and Leah."

"Also attached to others."

"Gee, Doctor Whitlock, I didn't know you were trying out to be the Love Doctor," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

He smiled. "And now you're pushing me away."

"Huh?"

"You call me Doctor Whitlock whenever I hit too close to the mark. The rest of the time it's just Jasper."

I chuckled. I actually liked when someone could see through my façade. "I guess that's my tell."

"You don't have many. You're good," he said with admiration, "but I'm paid to help you and look for tells." He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. "Look, I'm not trying to be a Love Doctor, but I've heard you tell me what you like about your friends' relationships with wistfulness in your voice. It may be too soon for you to think about getting involved with someone, but your pattern of hanging with couples isn't going to make it easier on you when you are ready. And if you keep thinking that life is just a bunch of hellos and goodbyes, you'll never trust anyone enough to stay around and find out what happens in the middle."

I sunk into my chair and smirked at him. "I thought therapists were only supposed to go, 'What do you think?' 'Why do you think that?' and 'How does that make you feel?'"

"That's not what you pay me for," he said with a smile. "Yes, you're correct. To some extent, my role is to be a mirror for my patients and asking questions helps guide them. We've spent six months doing that. I think you're close to making a breakthrough. Starting the process for changing your name was a great beginning. Considering the full-time job with Ben is another. And I will admit that you may not have many friends, but the ones you have seem solid. Your judgment is good, despite how you feel about your ex.

So let me be a blunt mirror for you right now. You see everyone as they really are, but for one person – you. Buried deep under that protective bubble wrap is a very interesting young woman with many hidden talents acquired through the unique circumstances of her life and the amazing influences she's had. It's time to take notice of them."

He clapped his hands together once, signaling the end of our session. "Okay, here is your next assignment." I groaned and he chuckled. "Now, now, no complaining. I want you to think about the people who've had an influence on your life and acknowledge how they shaped you. Don't concentrate only on how they died, but what you got from their lives."

I nodded. "I guess the old reincarnation notion is in effect, huh? Take what you learn in the past so that you can move ahead in the present?" I sighed and stood up. "Thomas Jefferson said, 'I like dreams of the future better than the history of the past.'"

"The future has a way of arriving unannounced," he said, standing as well, "Live in the now."

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. I worked later to make up for the missed time and went home, grabbing take-out Chinese food on the way. In an attempt to avoid starting on my homework for Jasper, I changed in to my workout gear, grabbed my iPod and went for a quick three-mile run on one of my typical routes.

After a nice hot shower upon my return, I warmed up the food, and popped in a movie while I ate. It was such a welcome distraction that I decided a double-feature was in order.

Wired and a little worried about dozing off and having the nightmare again, I settled into bed with a Sudoku puzzle book and realized it was approaching the witching hour. I hit the remote, turning on the radio, and then grabbed the phone and kept it nearby in case I knew the answers to tonight's questions.

The calm, seductive voice announced the first few songs and then at last began his nightly quiz show routine…

_~twtm~_

"_It's Spring, kids, which means our nation's favorite pastime has begun. What do you think of our chances this year? Will our beloved Giants go all the way? Hope springs eternal._

_Well, in honor of our team's trip out to play The Mets later this week, I have this tidbit for you:_

_This was the first artist in history to perform at all four of New York City's major sporting venues: Shea Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Giants Stadium, and Madison Square Garden. The 1965 Beatles concert at Shea Stadium was the first major concert to be held there and in 2008, this artist held the last._

_Name the artist and tell me what other rock legends played at "Last Play at Shea" with this artist."_

_~#~_

Oooh, I definitely knew this one! I scrolled through my phone list and pressed the station's speed dial number.

"Okay, hit me with it, Izzy Baby," the velvety voice answered after only one ring.

I shook my head and laughed, "Hey, Tony."

* * *

**A/N: Ah, we get to meet him at last.**

**Thanks to the Irritable Grizzzly for her beta-tude. Please review.**

_Post A/N: Also not mine – lyric references from Billy Joel's Say Goodbye to Hollywood.  
_

_Answer: The Last Play at Shea took place on July 16 and 18, 2008, before Shea was demolished. Billy Joel's concert guests included Paul McCartney, Roger Daltrey, Don Henley and Steven Tyler._


	4. John Lennon

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

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**Chapter 3**

**John Lennon: Whatever Gets You Thru the Night**

**#**

"Hey there, darlin'," he said in his smooth radio voice. "Do you think you know it?"

"I always think I know it. As you know, many times I'm proven wrong."

He huffed. "Not often. All right, going live now. Stay on after, okay?"

I smiled "Sure." He put me on hold and I muted the radio so that it wouldn't reverberate on air. Then I attached my headset to the phone so that I'd be hands-free for our conversation.

He was back on the line almost instantly. "_Caller number one, impress me."_

I was always a little nervous when I spoke on-air. I took a sip of water to clear my throat and then spoke. "The artist is Billy Joel, and, um, how many rock legends do I have to name?"

"_As many as you can, sweetheart, but at least two."_

"Okay. Daltrey. McCartney. Henley. Tyler. Mellencamp. Also Tony Bennett and Garth Brooks, but they're not _rock_ legends."

He chuckled. "_Uh, you named almost every guest but one."_

Now it was my turn to huff. "Yeah, John Mayer is only a legend in his own mind," I said sarcastically. I couldn't stand that conceited schmuck.

Tony laughed loudly and longer than usual. _"Agreed,"_ he said, after his laughter died down. _"And you know this… how?"_

"I went to the concerts. I spent an arm and a leg for the tickets but it was worth it… except for the John Mayer part."

"_Hmm. Well, I don't need to ask your name,"_ he said gently. I could hear the smile in his voice before he addressed the larger audience. _"Izzy from San Francisco beat the rest of you late night Fogheads to the punch, as she often does. For those of you not as fortunate as she to have seen the concerts, there are clips all over YouTube. However, for those of who want a better view, the documentary of 'The Last Play at Shea' just screened at the Tribeca Film Festival over the past week so you can likely look for it on DVD later this year."_

"_The Professor will be back later to test more of your 'seventies smarts'."_ He paused for a moment before addressing me directly. _"Izzy, what song do you want to start off our next half hour?"_

"Any of Billy Joel's songs is fine by me. I'm easy," I said with a shrug.

"_ARE you now? Well THAT'S good to know,"_ he said seductively.

I clapped my hand over my mouth and felt the flush take over my body. _God, did I say that on air?_

"_Well, 'Easy Izzy', in honor of the quintessential New Yorker, here's 'New York State of Mind'."_

I put my hands over my face and groaned. 'Easy Izzy'. Could there be a nickname out there that suited me less?

He was back a moment later. "Hey sweetheart, it's just us again." I was silent, my mortification momentarily paralyzing me. "Uh, Iz, are you there?"

"Yes," I said in a small voice.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice suddenly concerned. He paused again. "Oh. Oh darlin', did I embarrass you with my teasing?"

"A little," I admitted, "but it was my fault. I opened the door to that one."

"You did… and you know I was just playing with you."

I could hear the honesty in his voice. "Yeah, I know," I sighed. I decided to shake it off and tried to change the subject. "So how did you know it was me? And what would you have done if it hadn't been?" I asked.

"You mean when you first called in? Well, if it hadn't been you I would have lost the call by 'mistake'. Then I would have answered like a normal DJ. But I knew it was you," he said smoothly. "I felt it. I sensed it… an energy vibe that came through when the phone rang."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me you felt a disturbance in The Force, sir?"

He chuckled. "No, but sometimes I just sense that you'll know the answer."

"Am I that predictable?"

"You? No. That's an emphatic NO."

"How can you say that? You just said that you can sense when I'm going to call."

"Well, I do stack the odds in my favor sometimes. I chose that first question with you in mind. We've talked about your love for the piano men before. With the recent film screening, the Giants/Mets game AND Mr. Joel's birthday this upcoming weekend, you were on my mind and I went for it." He paused for a beat. "I baited you."

Those last three words came out like butter. _Good Lord! _I'd heard of bedroom eyes but this guy had bedroom _voice_.

'_Step into my parlor, said the spider to the fly'._

I felt myself flushing again and was instantly grateful that he couldn't see me. I steadied myself. "That's kind of cheating," I chastised.

"I never said I played fair," he responded. "Oh, hold, call coming in."

I was used to our interrupted conversations by now. Since it was a simple show with no guests or complicated segments, he manned the station alone, so he often had to take a caller request or answer a question. No matter what, he always remembered what we were discussing before he left, which made the conversation feel more seamless than it actually was.

While I waited, I replayed our conversation so far. I was on his mind. The thought warmed me.

_See, Jasper, he __**is**__ a friend._

I found it funny that Tony used terms of endearment when he spoke to me like sweetheart and darlin'. Usually those terms annoyed the hell out of me, particularly when they came from men in casual conversation, but for some reason it didn't annoy me coming from him. I'd never heard him say them to any other female callers. It felt genuine.

_He might be the biggest faker of them all, Bella,_ my suspicious self cautioned.

_Maybe,_ the lie detector part of me admitted, _but this part of him isn't faking._ It felt real, as real as when Jake spoke to me affectionately.

"Okay," he said suddenly, "back to your question. You are far from predictable. You almost never say what I expect. Look at our discussion a few weeks back about the top-five rock songs of the seventies. You still owe me your answer, by the way."

"I know I do," I said with a smile, happy that he'd remembered that I hadn't answered yet. He had posed the question to the listeners and many of the regulars called in listing their top five. I'd called to clarify what he was asking: did he want what I thought would be listed by critics and industry voters or the songs I personally liked? Because the answers wouldn't necessarily be the same, sort of like the Academy Awards. We'd spent a good thirty minutes bantering on the topic that night.

"Anyway, I figured you'd know a few of the guests for tonight's question, but I wouldn't have guessed that you actually went to the concerts. You flew out to New York for them? That's dedication."

"Uh, no," I said quickly. "I was living out East then."

"Really? I don't think you've mentioned that before." I stayed silent, hoping he'd understand that I didn't want to go there. He caught on and thankfully changed the subject. "So what did you watch tonight?"

Tony knew of the movie collection that I'd inherited from my parents. While I was slowly buying my favorites on DVD, the videos and the old VCR were items I couldn't bear parting with just yet; it made me feel close to them.

"_Sixteen Candles_ and _The Breakfast Club_."

"A John Hughes extravaganza. What's with all the eighties movies, missy?

"My parents gave me those movies," I said a tad defensively. "What's with the seventies music, bub?"

"You listen to it, sweetheart," he said in his slow, soft tone.

"You play it, honey," I said equally slowly and softly.

"That I do," he chuckled, "and you love it. Oh, another call, hold."

When he came back, we briefly discussed more eighties movies we liked before he paused our conversation again. "It's almost time for the next question," he said. "Lucky for the other listeners, you've answered first tonight so you can't call in again, although I'm not sure you'll know the next one. You really need to give others a chance on occasion," he teased.

"I know," I sighed. "I've heard that before."

"Have you? I want to hear more about that." He paused. "Can you stay on or do you have to go?" he asked gently.

I looked at the clock; it wasn't one yet. "It's still early. I can stay on."

"Good," he said with a smile in his voice. "Back with you in a few."

I lay back in my bed and closed my eyes, listening to his voice come back on air. I was definitely less tense and felt my earlier worries dissipating. Mondays through Thursdays were generally easier nights of sleep for me after listening to him.

"_I'm back, Fogheads, with the next question. This artist only had one American number one hit as a solo artist in his lifetime, despite his previous success as part of a group. A friend helped out on the song and bet him that it would top the charts. When the friend won the bet, this artist had to appear onstage with his friend, at what would be his last major concert appearance. _

_Name the artist and the song, as well as the friend. And for the gold star, tell me what personal connection, besides this song, these two had."_

I sat up, trying to process quickly. Was part of a successful group. Only one number one hit. Partnered with another artist. Was dead now.

I was still churning through the possibilities when I heard Tony on the line. _"Caller number one: whatcha got for me?"_

"_This is Jim in Bernal Heights. It's John Lennon and Elton John, man. 'Whatever Gets You Thru the Night'. And like Easy Izzy, I know this one because _I _was there at Elton's concert at Madison Square Garden in '74."_

I stuck my tongue out at Jim in Bernal Heights. And I realized that I might just have to give Tony a tongue-lashing for starting that lovely nickname.

Fortunately for me, Tony defended my honor. _"Now now, Jim, only I get to call Ms. Izzy 'Easy'. She's 'Queen Izzy' to you and the rest of the Fogheads, since she rules on these questions." _I grinned at his comment._ "But yes, you got it right. Most people would have guessed that 'Imagine' was his big hit, but it was his song with Elton that pushed him to the top. Do you know the bonus question?"_

"_Uh, no,"_ the guy said sheepishly. "_I was gonna Google it, but I wanted to be the first caller."_

_Oooh, cheater_, I thought. There was no point in Googling the answers to any of his questions since there was never a real prize. Nevertheless, since I wasn't playing, I decided I'd Yahoo! it since I often found things more quickly that way. I took my laptop out of sleep mode and quickly searched for 'personal connection between John Lennon and Elton John'. The first two Wikipedia entries had nothing.

"_Okay Jim, great job but no gold star. Thanks for calling. Caller number two, impress me."_

"_Mary from Noe Valley. Did they have an affair?" _

The line was silent for a beat and then he spoke slowly. _"Spoken like a true open-minded San Franciscan, Mary. Uh, not that I know of. Thanks for trying. Caller number three: do you know it?"_

I was just clicking into the third link – which was oddly one of my favorite sites, The Internet Movie Database – when the third caller started speaking.

"_Blake from Berkeley. Yeah, Sir Elton is Sean Lennon's godfather."_

At that point, I'd scanned the IMDB trivia and sure enough, there it was. Buried amongst a LOT of trivia.

"_Check out the big brain on Blake!" _Tony exclaimed._ "Yes, that's the connection I was looking for. Did you Google it?" _

"_No, man, my dad is a huge Beatles fan. I just didn't dial fast enough to beat that Jim guy."_

"_Okay, Blake, you get to choose. What Lennon song?"_

Blake laughed._ "I'm easy like Queen Izzy. I'll take whatever, man."_

"_Well, then, here you go, Big Brain Blake. 'Whatever Gets You Thru the Night'."_

I smiled as the song started playing. The words reminded me of Tony. In fact, when he came back on, he was singing to me along with the song.

"_Trust me darlin' come on listen to me, come on listen to me, come on listen, listen…"_

I chuckled. "Well, well, sing that funky music, white boy."

His singing stopped abruptly. "That's a disco reference," he growled. Tony hated disco.

"That's too freakin' bad, my friend," I said. "Don't think I didn't catch ole Jimbo calling me Easy Izzy."

"Aw, but you heard me defend your honor now, didn't you?"

"Hmm."

"Anyway, back to your earlier statement," he began, "You've been told you're too competitive?"

"In a way. When I was in sixth grade, my parents went to a parent-teacher night at my school. Not one teacher had a bad thing to say about me but my math teacher made a comment about my 'lack of initiative' regarding the weekly puzzle she posted in her room. My parents 'encouraged' me to do the puzzle."

I still remembered my parents coming home from that night. We were a month into the school year and I'd been keeping a pretty low profile in middle school. In an attempt to blend in more and not be teacher's pet again, I basically did my homework and answered questions only when asked. I'd thought it was my chance: new school and the teachers didn't know me.

I was wrong. In a small town like Forks, the teachers all talked and they definitely knew about the daughter of the police chief and the woman who led the adult self-defense and yoga classes at the high school on the weekends. My 'smart girl' reputation preceded me.

My parents came home that night a little concerned. Mrs. Banner, the math teacher, instantly pegged me as an only child even before she looked at my record because I didn't compete with the other students. According to her, I didn't have siblings to fight for my parents' attention so I didn't bother. But she was concerned this lack of initiative would lead to being satisfied with status quo later in life. My parents bought into it.

"Sweetheart," my mom had said, "you spend your summers with Grandma and Mr. Aro playing cards, learning tricks and doing riddles. We know you love puzzles. Please just try."

"So," I explained to Tony, "every Monday after that, I marched into the class, copied down the puzzle, sat for a few minutes to work on it, and then handed it to the teacher."

"At the end of the year, I won a prize for being the first to answer the question the most times. Would you believe the teacher had the nerve to joke to the class that maybe next time I should give others a chance?" I asked, incredulously.

Tony burst out laughing. "Jesus, that's priceless. So you've been Little Ms. Answer since you were young, huh? Your parents must be proud of you. Are they?"

I froze for a moment. I hadn't told him about my parents. I decided to just say it. "They were. They're not with me anymore."

"Oh," he said quietly, "I'm sorry about that." He paused for a few seconds before speaking again. "Well, since there seems to be a wee bit of competitiveness and a whole lot of smarts clearly built into your make-up," he said slowly, "are you going to do the race?"

_Well that's the question of the day today, isn't it? First Jake, and now Tony._ I hesitated a moment before responding. "One of my friends has been trying to get me to do it. But, I don't know. Figuring out puzzles and riddles and knowing trivia is one thing. Running around San Francisco on a scavenger hunt is another."

"But the winners get to compete on the national TV show."

"If you think that little fact is enticing to me at all, I may have given you the wrong impression about me-"

"No," he said quietly, cutting me off, "I don't think that about you at all."

I flopped back down on the bed looking up at the ceiling. "Well good. Despite the fact that you've just made 'Easy Izzy' famous amongst the night owls out there, I've never wanted that. To be famous." I paused. "Speaking of which, why aren't you?"

"Another call. Hold." He was back in about twenty seconds. "Would you believe the caller asked for John Denver?" he muttered. "It was all I could do not to yell at her. Seventies ROCK show, people! Acoustic Sunrise is on Sunday! God!" I could hear him take a deep breath. "Why aren't I what?" he asked, resuming our conversation.

"Famous. Why aren't you famous? This show is awesome. I looked at the station's website and they show all the DJs except you. And I searched for you on the internet. There aren't any photos." I had no mental image of what Tony really looked like. Anthony felt like an Italian name, but Masen reminded me of the Freemasens, so I pictured an Anglo. I was starting to get really curious.

"Haven't you heard? 'Video killed the radio star,' sweetheart. Ugly DJs don't make it."

_Is he telling me he's ugly? That would be something. The frog with the prince-like voice._

"I can't believe you just quoted that song to me! And technically, the song is about a singer, not a DJ. In any case, your statement isn't true," I argued. "Have you seen Howard Stern or Don Imus? Those two managed to transition from radio to TV and they are not attractive."

"Darlin', let's not beat around the bush: they are fugly, but they'd both built a following that transitioned with them to TV." He was quiet for a moment. "I'll bet you're pretty."

I was surprised. That came out of nowhere. Was HE trying to change the subject now?

"Izzy is short for Isabel, isn't it?"

"Yes," I admitted, "Isabella."

"See?"

"I'm not Italian. It actually means "Pledged to God'."

"So are you?" he asked.

"Names can be deceiving. Remember that you get named before they have a chance to know what you're going to look like."

"Your voice is pretty."

Damn it. I had to open the door by telling him I looked for him. It seemed like Mr. Masen was as private as I was and took to blatant flirting with me to get us off-topic.

Despite the fact that we'd talked all these months, some things were just never spoken. I knew his musical tastes, his general passions for movies and books, and the various tones that went with his moods, but I didn't know his age, his marital status or his physical appearance. Tonight, I'd revealed way more than I was used to.

"Maybe I'm like one of those stereotypical phone sex operators with a voice that doesn't match the body. But I cook a mean lasagna," I said, still avoiding the topic.

"Mmm. Don't make me hungry. I only have a sandwich for my 3 a.m. 'lunch,'" he sighed. "Hold. Another call."

I waited uneasily, desperately hoping we'd be off the topic when he returned.

"Hi," he said quietly. It was silent again. "I saw John, Yoko and Sean, you know. Walking near their home in New York City by Central Park. When I was a kid."

Holy crow, was I getting a little more of the 4-1-1 on Mr. Masen? John Lennon died in 1980. Now I knew he was at least three years older than I was.

"Really? How?"

"My family lived in New York for two years. One Sunday, when I was around six years old, my mom and dad took us to the park. I was on my dad's shoulders and there, coming out of the park on the way to The Dakota were John and Yoko with little Sean on John's shoulders. My dad pointed them out. Then he said, 'Hey John' as we passed by. John looked at us and at me on my dad's shoulders. He nodded at us with a smile and tugged at one of Sean's legs. Sean was a shy kid, but when I waved, he waved back."

"That's a nice memory."

"Yeah. My dad was so excited. A few months later, he took me to Elton John's free concert in Central Park because I liked the piano man as well. One of the songs Elton played that afternoon was 'Imagine,' which he dedicated to his good friend, John."

"Wow, that's awesome. You sound like you're close to your parents too?"

"No," he said, slowly, "Not anymore. They're no longer with me either."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Tony."

"It happened a while ago, Iz. No worries." There was another brief pause before he spoke again. "Anyway, Lennon was shot about four months later, in practically the very same spot that Sean and I had waved at each other."

I was silent for a moment. "That's pretty amazing that you experienced all this. Rock n roll legends throwing free concerts and walking down the street not hounded by paparazzi. You were a pretty lucky little guy."

He muttered a small 'harrumph' that I almost missed. "Yeah." He went silent as well. "Well, sweetheart, it's just about time for the next trivia question…"

I looked at the clock. It was 1:45 and I needed to wind down after the day I'd had. "Hey, I think I'm going to have to shut down for the night."

"All right. Sweet dreams, Queen Isabella," he said, again in his smooth radio voice. "Until tomorrow, I hope."

I nodded. "Tomorrow. Good night, Tony."

I turned down the volume and set the radio to sleep mode so that it would automatically turn off by three o'clock, and put the phone back on its charger. As he launched into his next trivia question, I recapped our call instead of listening to the topic.

We'd spoken longer than usual and I'd found out a lot of facts about my 'ugly' DJ friend:

Fact 1: He was about ten years older than I was.

Fact 2: He'd lived out East as a kid.

Fact 3: His parents were dead too.

Fact 4: He thought my voice was pretty.

That last fact made me smile. I leaned over to turn out the light and I burrowed under the covers as I finished adding to my mental Tony database.

Fact 5: He got me through the night quite often and, to some extent, he knew it.

_It's nice to have someone to talk to before I go sleep,_ I thought as I started to drift off.

I fell asleep listening to his voice once more. Thankfully, there was no nightmare that night.

That was the first night I dreamt of Tony Masen.

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**A/N: ****Hmm... ****I wonder what kind of dream she had about her ugly DJ friend?  
**

**Thanks to the Irritable Grizzzly for her fabulousness. Please review.**

_Post A/N: Also not mine – lyric references from John Lennon's Whatever Gets You Thru the Night._

_As you know from my previous stories, I sometimes throw my experiences in to use for the fiction (such as the ghost story described in Sleeps with a Vampire). While it was actually my brother who was riding on my dad's shoulders that day outside of The Dakota while I walked on next to them, the scene with John, Yoko and Sean happened as I described. _

_I did not go to The Last Play at Shea; however, my mom did take me and my brother to see Elton's free concert in NYC. I learned about the Sean/Elton connection a few months later when the radio stations played Lennon's music almost non-stop in a tribute/memorial to him and the Beatles after his death in December, 1980._


	5. ABBA and Barry Manilow

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: I know these singers don't fit the 70's classic rock definition. So does Tony..._**  
**

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* * *

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**Chapter 4**

**ABBA & Barry Manilow: on Taking Chances**

_**#**_

_Okay, even I think it is too early on a Sunday to be doing this, _I thought as I drove down Geary Boulevard at six-thirty a.m. Luckily I had packed my little knapsack the night before so I was ready to head out soon after my shower. In theory I had all the essentials needed for what I'd heard would be a fun morning: bus pass, wallet, cell phone, water, Luna Bar, camera. Daring to be optimistic, I even put on sunscreen in hopes of a fog-free morning.

"_Park anywhere you can find a spot near 30__th__ between Balboa and Geary, and then hop a bus heading back downtown,"_ he'd said. While at first it seemed counterintuitive to drive the completely opposite direction from where we were meeting, the logic was sound. I'd be parked relatively close to the Polo Field so that I could just hop in my car and make my way back home when it was over.

After finding a spot in the general vicinity, I made my way back to Geary and found the nearest bus stop. Several people were already there, most in general athletic-wear with numbers pinned to their tops or shorts. One guy had on a Mexican poncho and sombrero. As we all boarded the bus, two guys dressed in Star Trek uniforms came running around the corner.

_Oh yeah, I'll need my camera for sure._

Twenty-five minutes later I was zigzagging with the rest of the crowds in the general direction of the starting line. Rounding the corner at Bush and Battery, I saw him standing there outside of our predetermined meeting spot.

"Morning, Bells!" Jake said, waving a bag containing my breakfast at me. I took a step toward him and then halted abruptly to avoid the string of people exiting Noah's Bagels at that very moment. Being run over by a pack of runners on their way to Mission Street wouldn't have been a surprise given the hoards of people milling about. Being run over by a bunch of people all dressed as bumblebees tied together with a rope around each of their wrists would have been.

I gaped at them as they went past me and looked back at Jacob. He had a big grin on his face. "I love first-timers. That was a centipede," he explained, knowing I had no idea what was going on.

"Tell me again why you thought I should do this," I said, taking the bagel from his hand.

"This is your first May in San Francisco! You've gotta do some of the fun San Francisco events." He looked at my face. "You look a little cranky. Did you have any coffee yet?"

I opened the bag and bit into the whole wheat bagel. "No," I said after I swallowed the first bite. "I didn't want to have to go along the way."

"They have porta-potties." I scrunched my face at that. Ew. Then he looked down at the rest of me and frowned. "Where's my shirt?"

"Under my sweatshirt. Don't worry, I'm wearing it."

"But no one can see it!"

"I'm cold, Jake!"

"Hmm. Okay, with the pace I plan to keep, you'll warm up by the time we hit the Hayes Street hill. But just in case," he began as he grabbed his backpack off his shoulder and reached in and pulled out a 'Jake's Big Bikes' cap. "Here," he said, grabbing my hat, and shoving the other one on my head. Then he reached around to grab my ponytail and pull it through the hole in the back. "There," he said, smiling at me, "now you look perfect."

It was hard not to feel happy around him. I was grinning when we heard someone call out. "Hey Jake, hey Ness- Oh! Not Nessie. Damn…"

We turned. "Hey Steve," Jacob answered, "Nice to see you! This is my friend Bella. Nessie is down at Footstock setting up our booth. Stop by when we're done!"

Steve gave me a strange look and then smiled back at Jake. "Will do!" he said as he jogged across the street.

I held out my number. "So if the sweatshirt comes off, where should I pin this?" I asked.

"Probably your t-shirt. Come on, let's make our way over to our section and you can pin it there. You'll have plenty of time while we're waiting."

He grabbed my hand and we maneuvered through the crowds toward Mission and Spear. Along the way an occasional 'Hey Jake!' rang out. Jake's Bikes was a well known spot and with the new Big Bike shop, Jake had become somewhat of a local celebrity.

"Make sure you get your camera out," he said as he reached up to hit one of the big beach balls being slapped around by the crowd. I looked up and saw people in the buildings surrounding us looking out their windows at the crowd which Jake had told me usually numbered somewhere in the sixty- to eighty-thousand range.

Loud music was ringing out from the speakers positioned all around. As I reached into my bag to get the camera, I was pelted in the head. "Ow! What the-?" I yelped, looking down to see what hit me. I gaped again to find a tortilla on the ground. I suddenly noticed tortillas flying all over the place, whipping through the air like Frisbees.

Jake was laughing at my expression. "Welcome to the Bay to Breakers!"

"Why are they throwing tortillas?"

"Why not?" he responded with a shrug. "Oh, here we go," he said. "Hold on, because people push through here for a few blocks." I grabbed onto the back of his shirt and followed him, walking slowly through the crush while tripping on clothes and tortillas strewn all over the ground.

Other people were also holding onto their pals to stick together and the crowd was energized by the overall festive atmosphere. We bobbed up and down to the music. It looked like a bunch of conga lines. A 'float' that looked like a Tiki-bar was slowly making its way behind us, pushed by the people in and out of the ten-by-ten foot object. Several of the folks were blending drinks. Three gorillas danced by me.

_Alcoholic beverages at eight in the morning. Flying tortillas. Gorillas conga-ing. Clothes on the ground. Bumblebee centipedes. _I felt like I was in an LSD-induced dream.

Jake pointed out the sights along the way as we walked down Howard Street. We kept a brisk pace, weaving around the slower walkers. It took us almost a half-hour to get to the starting line, and I laughed with the realization that at five minutes a mile, the seeded runners were likely done with the 7.5 mile race before we'd even walked the first mile.

Around the second mile I took off my sweatshirt and tied it around my waist. Jake smiled happily at our matching t-shirts. Looking ahead of me, I realized I was suddenly facing a very naked flabby butt. Actually, three of them. Dead ahead of me. My mouth dropped open.

People were running ahead of these fully-naked walkers to snap their photos. The three posed happily, proudly displaying their nudity.

Jake looked at me and laughed, grabbing my hand to once again maneuver us around the slower walkers. "Those are the Bare-to-Breaker folks. They do the race naked, except for their numbers, hats, and sneakers."

"Why?" I asked.

"Why not?" he repeated.

As I looked up the hill, I saw several spots where there were two or three naked bodies. "Um, are any of them, well…?"

"Attractive?" he finished for me. I nodded, my eyes still bugged out of my head. "That's a matter of perspective, no?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "What? Are you running for Congress or something? No wonder you're so popular. What's your real answer?"

He pursed his lips and shook his head minutely as he winked at me.

A line of runners with foam fish on their heads ran by us heading in the opposite direction. As I turned to look back at them, Jake explained. "Salmon. Swimming upstream." He picked up the pace and soon we were practically running up the hill.

"Okay," he said, as we passed more walkers, "now that I have you winded so you can't argue with me…"

"I'm not winded… and I can't believe it took you this long!"

"Seriously, Bells, I want you to do the NSAR-SF with me."

Despite my exasperation at his hounding me, I had to chuckle. Only he would take something, give it a longer name, and then start calling it by its acronym. Jacob had renamed The Great Treasure Hunt race the 'Not-So Amazing Race San Francisco.' "You have a perfectly good girlfriend who could do this with you and she's more athletic than I am. Why me?"

"Nessie has no interest in doing it."

"I haven't expressed an interest either," I pointed out.

"Ah, see, but you have. You're just subtle about it. You're like Rain Man with the puzzles. I know there's a part of you that would love the challenge."

I looked away with a smile. Jake really did know me pretty well. The riddle/puzzle part of the race was so appealing to me.

"Besides," he continued, "it will be good for you to get out more. AND, maybe you'll get to meet your guy! He could hand out the awards or something."

I looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "Again, he's NOT my guy, Jacob. Anyway, I've been thinking that we might be better off as mere phone buddies. I wouldn't want to spoil the fantasy."

"O-ho, so you DO fantasize about him," he said with a sly grin.

"No!" I said as I felt my face flush. "I- I just meant that we're phone friends. What if I meet him and he's actually an ass?"

Jacob frowned. "I think you're just scared to find out. I care about you, hon. After Nessie, you're my best friend. It's time to take some risks, Bells. Take a chance." His face quickly turned into a grin. "_Take a chance, take a chance, take a chance on me!_" he sang.

I narrowed my eyes. "No. That's disco."

He laughed. "Yeah, baby, but it's the seventies, and your man is nowhere around to put a stop to it!" His voice boomed, _"If you need me, let me know, gonna be around, if you've got no place to go, if you're feelin' down…"_

"Seriously Jake, no-"

Suddenly a voice from behind us was singing along with Jake. _"If you're all alone, when the pretty birds have flown…"_

"_Honey I'm still free, take a chance on me!"_ several other voices to our left sang.

I walked alongside him and shook my head, all at once horrified and marveling at the fact that he'd started a sing-a-long. People around us were singing and walking.

Finally, someone called out, "No more FUCKING ABBA!"

"YEAH, Go Priscilla!" someone else shouted.

Three more miles and sixty-seven naked bodies – yes, I counted – behind us, we were in the homestretch making our way through Golden Gate Park. Jake suddenly pulled me close to him, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Okay, look up and smile and wave at the camera, Bells!" he said, pointing up at the photographers' positions on a metal structure. They were snapping photos of everyone, careful to catch each numbered person so they could sell the commemorative photo back to you.

Soon we had passed the true finish line at the ocean and then we headed back into the park to get our "I finished" t-shirts and to find Nessie.

The Jake's Bikes booth was already surrounded by racers bopping to the music blasting from the speakers. Quil, the assistant manager of the new shop was there, pouring glasses of lemonade and putting them down on the table in front of him. Nessie had her back to us, opening up a box and grabbing handfuls of plastic-wrapped cookies.

Jake put his finger to his mouth indicating for the crowd not to say anything as he snuck up on Nessie and wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up and spinning her around. "There's my woman!" he said.

Nessie's face went from surprise to laughter as she gave a little squeal, her legs kicking in the air. "Jake! Put me down!"

He set her down but kept one arm at her waist as he deftly turned her toward him and dipped her as he kissed her, making her cap fall off her head. The crowd whooped it up, cheering Jake on.

Nessie was rapidly flushing red when he brought her upright. "That man can kiss!" she said, mock fanning herself and grinning at the crowd. As she turned to get more cookies, she noticed me standing at the edge of the booth. "Bella!"

She took a step toward me but paused as Jake put the cap back on her head, pulling her pony-tail through the back and kissing her on the cheek. "Perfect," he said with a smile, and then he turned to greet the crowd.

After a quick hug, we stepped back and laughed. We were dressed alike, with black capri running pants, our dark blue t-shirts, and matching caps. "This takes the 'Jake likes a certain look'-thing to a whole new level, doesn't it?" she asked as she handed me a cookie.

I nodded with a grin and unwrapped it. "When we buy the same things at Costco, it's bound to happen on occasion," I responded, taking a bite.

Nessie and I were well aware of our physical similarities but we also knew our distinctions. While we shared the same skin tone and hair color, our features were different. Her eyes were darker, her face rounder and her lips thinner than mine. She was also about two inches taller with a slightly more athletic build. My voice was sort of husky while hers was light and somewhat musical.

Despite these differences, we knew how odd it appeared to some that Jake hung around with another woman who looked like his girlfriend. Nevertheless, since we were all clear on the nature of our respective relationships, we just laughed it off.

I moaned as the taste of the cookie registered. "Holy cow, Ness, did you make these?" I asked.

She nodded and then exclaimed, "Oh! Forgot something!" She grabbed a thermos from under a table and handed it to me. "Jake said you probably wouldn't drink your coffee this morning so I got you a latte when I stopped to get mine. One sugar. I think it's still hot."

I shook my head in wonder and then tapped Jake on the shoulder. "She's a keeper, Mr. Black. Be nice to this little lady!"

She sidled up to him and gave him a hug. "He always is, Bella!"

"Jake!" a voice called out. We turned to see a photographer standing among the crowd. "Ella Atkins from the Chronicle! Let me get a photo of you!"

Jake grinned and said, "Hold for a sec!" He reached over to put his arm around my shoulder and pull me into the photo, while his other arm remained around Nessie. "Come on, Bells."

I was looking down when I heard the first click. "Who are the Doublemint Twins, Jake?" Ella asked.

"Ness and Bells. Just call us Team Jacob!" he said with a laugh.

Nessie and I both cocked our heads at the same time and leaned forward to look at one another around Jacob's chest. We were both smiling like idiots at each other as the camera clicked again.

That shot made it into the Chronicle's photo section the next day.

~#~

A week and a half later, Angela, Leah and I all sat on a Wednesday afternoon eating a light lunch at the Tea Garden Springs Spa in Mill Valley. We'd spent the morning getting facials, scrubs, wraps and massages doing the 'girl thing' in advance of the next few days of craziness.

Somewhere in the middle of bliss and happy stomach, Leah decided to kill my mood. She reached into her purse and pulled out a newspaper.

"Since when are you into threesomes, Missy?" she asked a little too loudly, slapping the paper down on the table in front of me. "Team Jacob?"

I turned red and looked around to see who'd overheard her. Apparently everyone, by the way they were staring at me. _Thanks Leah._

Luckily, I'd girded my loins about this since my appointment with Jasper the day after the race. He too had seen the photo and had something to say about it: _"Isabella, even I – who has seen a lot of shit go down in my profession – think this is weird. I need you to be honest with yourself: are you sure there aren't some hidden feelings between you and Jacob?"_

I sighed and dropped my fork on my plate with a clang. "My, what patience you have Ms. Clearwater. You waited a whole ten days to attack me about this."

"This is not an attack; it's an intervention. I'm trying to keep today light and happy so I won't lace into you too much, but day-um, Bella! I knew you two looked sort of alike from what Angela said-"

I whipped my head to glare at Ange who was looking up at the ceiling in a nonchalant kind of way. "Traitor," I said as I looked back at Leah.

"But you two really look like sisters! I mean, honestly, how does he keep the two of you straight in his head?"

"SHE'S the one in his bed each night. I'm guessing he feels his way to clarity," I said quickly, angry at her assumption.

Angela finally piped in. "Well, aside from the fact that I think it is weird that you two look alike and that he doesn't want to try out for the Treasure Hunt with his girlfriend…"

"She doesn't want to do it," I interjected. "She's actually dying for me to say yes because then Jake will shut-up about it. She said I'm worlds better at puzzles and riddles than she'll ever be."

"…I think he's onto something with this race."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you need a partner to do it and Jake is willing and able. You know that they'd pick him in a heartbeat with his mini-celebrity status and his personality. What they wouldn't know is that his partner is his ace in the hole."

My eyes popped open. "You're serious."

She nodded and smiled. "Even better, you might get into the KFOG building if you win and get to meet Tony!"

"That's not a good reason to do this…" I said.

Her expression was soft as she looked at me. "I just think Jasper is right, sweetie. You need to start living life again. Go for it!"

_From now on, I'm not sharing any more details about discussions with Jasper. We're limiting it only to how he looked and what he was wearing. That ought to distract them._

"Yeah, well, Jasper thinks I should stop hanging with all of you couples. Still want me to listen to him?"

"Okay, not about everything," Leah muttered, with a frown. "Stupid hot doctor." She sat up and touched my hand. "Anyway, you're a shoo-in to win: you're the queen of riddles and puzzles, you geek!"

I did a double-take. "Et tu, Brute?"

"Hey, hey, be nice to me. It's my fucking bachelorette day and we're doing what I want. Tonight, before I'm subjected to the onslaught of family and friends coming in over the next two days, I want to spend time with my attendants and chill. Beer and pizza at your house, Swan. Right after I pick up Emily at the airport."

I sat up and pointed at her. "And right there is why I don't want to hear it from you about Jake, Nessie and me. THAT situation is weird: you're marrying your cousin's old boyfriend and she's your matron of honor. Pot? This is the kettle. You're black."

Leah laughed. "Sam and Emily were together a long time ago. She's happily married and on her second kid. We all know where we stand with each other. There's no confusion."

I raised my eyebrows at her and pursed my lips.

"Touché," she said with a smirk. She finished her tea and then stood. "Okay, let's get dressed and get going. I want to stop at the bookstore before we head back."

~#~

Later that night after they'd left and I'd cleaned up, I felt restless and just a little sad. I settled into bed and listened to Tony's program, but I just didn't feel like trying for the questions. We'd watched a freakin' mystery/comedy! How could I let this affect me?

_You remind me, I live in a shell. Safe from the past and doing okay, but not very well._

After he'd asked his second round of questions, Tony thanked his _**new**_ listeners for dialing in. As the next thirty-minute set began, I called in.

"KFOG, Tunes with Tony Masen."

I smiled. "Hi Tony."

"Izzy-baby! I guess you got my hint about missing my regulars. Where've you been?"

"I- I'm just not up for playing tonight."

He was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his tone was soft. "What's wrong, darlin'?"

"Bit of the blues, I guess," I sighed.

"No movie tonight?"

"No, actually, I did watch a movie with my girlfriends and I think it got me down a little."

"What movie?"

I knew how dumb this was going to sound. "Foul Play."

"What?" he sputtered. "That's a funny movie! Why would that get you down?"

"They decided to point out the similarities between Goldie Hawn's life and mine."

"Really? What part? Fighting Albinos off with umbrellas? Taking the most circuitous route on every hilly street in San Francisco to get somewhere?"

I chuckled, despite my mood. "I know, right? They're trying to get to the Opera House and I swear they're in Twin Peaks or something and next they're in Japantown, Pacific Heights, The Marina… I mean, I haven't lived here that long but even I wondered why they didn't just go down Market." I paused. "Nah, it was about Goldie's character in the beginning of the story and her friend's wedding in Marin. My friend is getting married in Marin this weekend and I'm an attendant. I think it would have been okay if they hadn't decided to sing at me during the opening and closing credits."

_No jolts, no surprises, no crises arises: my life goes along as it should. It's all very nice, but not very good…_

"Oh," he said. "OH!" he exclaimed, realizing what they were singing at me.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Okay, is there anything I can play for you?"

"Unfortunately, I've got that song in my head. While I hate to admit it, I actually really like it, when they're not singing it at me."

There was silence. "No. Hell no. I cannot play that for you, Iz. I'll be laughed off the air. The only thing cool about that guy is that he wrote the old Band-Aid jingle."

I gasped. I didn't know that. My mom used to sing that to me all the time when I was younger as she put another band-aid on one of my cuts. I could feel my sadness starting to well up again. "I know, Tony. No worries," I said quickly. "Hey, I'm gonna go. I just wanted to say hi."

"Oh… all right. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," I said softly. "Tomorrow is another day. Good night."

"Sleep well, Iz."

Once again, I returned the phone to its charger, turned down the volume and set the radio to sleep mode so that it would automatically turn off by three o'clock. I was still tossing and turning as he launched into two new sets of trivia questions over the next hour. I was starting to drift off around two when Tony's voice came over the airwaves. I sat up as I took in the combination of non-seventies classic rock songs.

_~twtm~_

"_Do think you have what it takes to win?" _he asked as a small clip of Santana's 'Winning' played in the background. The music then transitioned to Frank Sinatra singing a little 'Luck Be a Lady.'

"_Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" _

Frank faded out and part of Kenny Rogers' 'The Gambler' began._ "Are you ready to gamble?" _he asked.

"_Are you ready to take a chance?" _Barry Manilow's 'Ready to Take a Chance Again" played in the background.

"_Well Fogheads, the deadline approacheth for The Great Treasure Hunt. Applications are due by nine am at the KFOG offices on Tuesday, June first. See the KFOG website for details. _

_As our friend Barely Man-Enough would say, 'You get what you get when you go for it'… way to state the obvious," _he said wryly._ "So maybe Queen can say it better," _he said, as the beginnings of 'We Are the Champions' began.

"_You could be the San Francisco champion. Take a chance."_

~#~

My eyes were teary as I turned the radio down. With the lights still off, I reached for the phone and hit the KFOG speed dial.

He answered in one ring. "Yo! KFOG."

"Thank you," I said quietly.

He chuckled. "Only for you, darlin'," he said softly. "Goodnight."

As I drifted off to sleep, I acknowledged a new fact about Tony… or rather, about me:

_I might have a little crush on my ugly DJ friend._

_

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**A/N2: Thanks as always to the lovely Irritable Grizzzly. Please review.**

_Post A/N: Also not mine – lyric references from ABBA's Take a Chance on Me and Barry Manilow's Ready to Take a Chance Again and line from the movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.  
_

_For those of you who don't know, Barry Manilow wrote the old Band-Aid and State Farm jingles and the American Bandstand theme that he used to sing. He sang, but did not write, jingles for McDonalds, KFC and Dr. Pepper. He was the go-to guy back in the day for commercials, I guess. And he's now starring at The Paris Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas... in case you are headed to Vegas and happen to be a fan...  
_

_The Bay to Breakers race takes place every May in San Francisco. In fact, the crowd should be amassing right now, even as I post this (5/16). It is as I described and it is a lot of fun. One year, I passed 99 naked people. _

_Yes, I counted._


	6. Steve Miller Band

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Steve Miller Band: Fly Like an Eagle**

**#**

A day and a half after Tony managed to sneak that small Manilow clip on his show for me I was still in a great mood. This turned out to be a very good thing, since the wedding frenzy really kicked into high gear.

Friday was spent helping Leah run last-minute errands before we headed to the wedding rehearsal and dinner. Under anyone else's watch, this could have been a logistical headache since the wedding was being held on Saturday at The Pelican Inn in Muir Beach and the rehearsal dinner and evening's entertainment would take place in the "All-Star Suite" at the Giants game at AT&T park in the city. Getting from Marin to San Francisco on a Friday night often meant horrible traffic. However, Logical Leah was in control and she had planned this well, scheduling the rehearsal at three p.m. which left plenty of time to get to the city ahead of the real traffic slowdown.

The Giants-Diamondbacks game didn't start until seven p.m., so I decided to stop home and shower and change. The nice thing about tonight was that it would be a casual and fun evening with the wedding party and close family and friends. I dressed simply in a shirt, jeans and ankle-high boots, and then headed off to the park.

The suite was awesome. There were couches and chairs around a coffee table so guests could sit and chat, while the TVs allowed you to watch the game on the screen. Meanwhile others could step outside and sit in the typical stadium seats to see the game live. Appetizer platters were set on various tables around the room and the side bar held the hot food and drinks.

"Hey Iz- I mean, Bella," Leah's brother Seth said as walked in. "Sorry, still getting used to calling you by your new name." He held out one of the bottles of beer he had in his hands and offered it to me.

I shook my head. I needed food before I had a drink because I was the model of a true lightweight.

"No thanks." I looked up at him. Seth was tall, dark and handsome, with a beautiful boyish grin that almost never left his face. "And you can call me Izzy or Bella, whichever is easier. Although, names shouldn't be a problem for you, genius. Or didn't you take 'Remembering Names 101' at MIT?"

Like clockwork, the grin appeared. "Something they SHOULD teach there, given the general lack of social skills of the students," he joked.

"Seth, no perpetuating myths about your alma mater," Leah said, joining our conversation. She turned her gaze from her brother to me and frowned. "What are you wearing?" she asked me.

I looked down at my outfit and back at her. "Clothes."

"Don't be a smart-ass. Where did you get that outfit?"

"What's wrong with THIS one?"

"Nothing, you look great," Sam said, stepping up to her side and putting his arm around her shoulder. "Ignore her, she's in full-form."

"Are you two going good cop/bad cop on me?" I asked, looking at the CHP captain and the lawyer.

Sam laughed. "Only one of us is the good cop. The other is the bad-ass attorney who wins all her cases and has awesome clients who let us use this room," he said, kissing her with a resounding smack on her lips. I loved Sam. He was one of the only people I'd ever met who could fluster Leah.

She visibly softened and gazed at him happily for a quick moment. Then she turned back to look at me. "I've never seen it. You do look great. It just isn't your typical style."

I smirked in anticipation of her reaction to my next revelation. I knew I shouldn't enjoy pushing her buttons like this, but, hey, I needed to have some fun every once in a while.

"Nessie bought the top but it didn't fit her right so she gave it to me. She also advised me on the boots."

Her eyes narrowed. "You say these things just to piss me off, don't you?" she asked, flatly.

"You'd like her, Leah. She and I actually hang around together without Jake on occasion."

Her eyes widened and then she shut them and put her hands to her face. "It's not 'Big Love', it's not fucking 'Big Love'," she mumbled from beneath her hands. Sam and Seth took that opportunity to back away from the crazy woman and speak with other family members.

Leah and her swearing didn't scare me. I was used to it and if she wanted to keep having this fight with me, I would indulge her. "Leah may-never-be-Uley-if-she-doesn't-cut-the-crap Clearwater! Just because you've got everything nailed down and controlled, doesn't mean you get to tell me who I should hang around with or how I feel about my friends!"

Her eyes flew open and she was about to say something when two guests walked in and called out their greetings. I looked over and briefly appraised the attractive couple. Emily was smiling widely and hugging Leah's mom and dad. I was once again struck by the general similarities between Leah and Emily with their dark eyes, tawny skin and hair color. Emily's handsome dark-haired, blue-eyed husband Brent was shaking Sam's hand.

I turned back and winked at Leah. "Isn't it nice to have clear, uncomplicated relationships where everyone knows exactly where they stand? I sure think so." I said sweetly.

She cocked her head and then chuckled. "Touché again, Swan. Okay, okay. I'll try to back off. No promises, though."

As the guests mingled amongst themselves, I fixed myself a small plate of food, grabbed a bottle of water and went to sit outside to watch the game, taking a seat at the end of the row closest to the door. Within a few minutes Emily and Brent came out and sat next to me with their food, which gave me the opportunity to get to know them a little better since I'd never met either of them before this week. Emily's mom stayed behind at the hotel with their two-year-old Timothy so that they could have a night out with the adults.

"So, Bella, who's Jake?" Emily asked with a curious gleam in her eye.

I groaned and whipped around to look inside the suite. Leah was sitting with Sam's mom chatting. "Aw, man, did she send you out here to harass me now?"

Emily laughed. "No, I was just curious because she was muttering about him on the way back from your apartment the other night."

I sighed. "Jacob AND his girlfriend Nessie are friends of mine. Nessie and I happen to look alike. Leah likes to, uh, express her concern-slash-displeasure about our relationship."

"Is she really giving you a hard time considering…?" he said, in reference to their situation.

"Apparently she thinks we palefaces aren't enlightened enough to understand the boundaries between friendship and romance." They laughed. I looked at Brent. "How do you even survive in this family?"

"I've had several years to get used to it," he said, smiling wryly. "And I tan nicely in the summertime, so I blend in… which allows them to sometimes forget what my pilgrim ancestors did to their indigenous brethren."

Emily poked him in the stomach. "Oh, we don't harp on that, you tease!"

He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "That's because of my eagle spirit." He sat up and puffed out his chest. "I am a strong warrior," he said, looking at her. Noticing my attempt to hold back my laughter, he shrugged. "Okay, so it's not my eagle spirit. But I was an Eagle Scout."

We all had a good laugh. "So, Eagle Warrior: Pilgrim? Really?" I asked.

He nodded. "Born and bred on the Cape. You know how everything came to be, right?" he asked, grabbing the hand that was poking him and kissing it as he nodded his head toward Sam and Leah. "Seth was my brother's college roommate. My family sort of adopted Seth for the holidays, since he couldn't afford to travel back to Washington except at Christmas. They added Leah to the family when she was in her first year of law school and the guys were in their Senior year. I met Em at a Clearwater family barbecue when I came out to Seattle to interview for jobs after I graduated from business school."

"That's right, the infamous barbecue." I had heard this story through Leah but had only been aware that the connection was through a friend of Seth. I hadn't realized it was his _roommate_ who was the link. "Didn't Leah's mom invite Sam?"

"Yeah, I was back from UCLA for the summer and Aunt Sue decided to try to play matchmaker. She was actually hoping to get me and Sam back together and possibly make a love connection between Leah and Brent." Emily grinned. "I guess that backfired."

"Was it weird for you when Sam and Leah started dating?"

"Nah, our high school romance was just that. Brent and I hit it off immediately and you should have seen Sam's face when he saw Leah for the first time after all those years. I don't think he took his eyes off of her all night," she said looking happily at her husband. "So we're all here today because of Aunt Sue, Seth and- oh! You made it!"

"Yeah, I know. It's amazing I'm standing right now. I took a nap after I landed this afternoon but I'm still on Paris-time," a male voice said from behind me.

Emily and Brent stood up to greet our new companion and I twisted in my seat to let them out of the row. Then I turned to peer up at the guy standing with Seth by the suite door.

Taking in the dark hair, blue eyes and other similar facial features, I realized this was Brent's younger brother. His better-looking younger brother. _Holy Moses!_ I stood up and watched them all hug each other. His eyes met mine as he hugged Emily and he blinked. He stepped back and he cocked his head, looking at me. Then he smiled and extended his hand.

"Hi, I'm Tyler."

~#~

Tyler Crowley was a very smart, very nice guy, I learned, over the course of the next two days.

He was an engineer at Apple and had just returned from a vacation in Paris managing to also visit the Apple facilities there. He was fluent in French, knew how to cook, and liked to bike and hike. He was also a fantastic dancer, as he quite ably demonstrated at the wedding by taking me out to the dance floor as often as I would allow, much to Angela's and Leah's delight. After a while I stopped looking at them so I could avoid their big grins and wiggly eyebrows that would make my face instantly flush. As it was, Tyler was doing quite nicely all on his own with his attentiveness.

I have to admit, it was sort of nice to spend time with a cute guy in such a safe environment. It was what I imagined it felt like to be on a date, without all the pressure of an actual date. At times, though, Tyler's behavior was almost too friendly, as if he felt like he already knew me. It wasn't that he made any assumptions or was rude in any way. In fact, I couldn't quite put my finger on what was off about it. Leah and her mother insisted that they hadn't planned on trying to set us up, so I just chalked it up to my general inexperience with attractive men who paid attention to me as something more than just a friend.

We wound down the weekend with an informal barbecue lunch at Stinson Beach mid-Sunday afternoon and at around 4:30, I decided it was time to take my leave and I said my goodbyes. As I turned to walk to where I'd parked, I found Tyler waiting for me. I was surprised, since he'd been a little less 'in my face' during the barbecue, instead talking intensely with Seth for the greater part of the outing.

"Are you leaving too?" I asked.

"Nah, but I thought I'd walk you to your car, if that's okay?"

"Sure."

This was a different Tyler walking with me than the one I'd come to know over the past couple of days. In the daylight, he was almost awkward and shy and his movements were a little stiff. It was possible that his previous forwardness was fueled by the alcohol he imbibed. He didn't say anything until we were standing by my car.

_I guess I have to be the charming conversationalist here._

"Well, Tyler," I began as I dug out my car keys from my purse, "I'm glad you were able to manage your vacation to make it back for this wedding. It was nice to meet you. I'm sure when Seth comes to visit we'll have an opportunity to all get together again."

He stared down at me for a moment and then looked away. Finally, he spoke. "I have something embarrassing to tell you, Bella," he said sheepishly. "I've seen you before, and I was hoping I'd get a chance to spend time with you this weekend."

That took me by surprise. "Excuse me?"

His eyes met mine. "Seth and I were at that party at Harvard with Leah the weekend you and your friends came down from Dartmouth six years ago. I saw you then and wanted to speak to you, but that blond guy Mike from Leah's law school class swooped in and I didn't have a chance."

"Didn't have a chance? Have you seen yourself, Tyler?" I blurted without thinking. _Oh God, what did I just say?_ I could feel my face turning pink.

He raised his eyebrows and then slowly smiled, his body clearly starting to relax. He shrugged. "I was a skinny engineering student with thick glasses. Anyway, a few months ago that I learned you were living in San Francisco and had divorced Mike. Seth said you were going to be an attendant and so I made sure that I would be back for the wedding. I hope I didn't seem too overly eager these past two days. I was just glad to have some time to get to know you."

I was thrilled that my guy antenna had been accurate. He was a nice guy. "That's really sweet, Tyler. I had a lot of fun with you too."

His face lit up. "Great!" he exclaimed, taking a step closer. "So, uh, my work schedule can be really crazy with the project I'm on but I'd like to see you again. Would you want to meet up sometime?"

~#~

As I drove South on Highway One my mind was swirling with all of the various conversations I'd had over the past several weeks all centering on the same theme: moving on. And I wanted to. Oh, how I wanted to.

But there I was not fifteen minutes before, standing in front of a great guy who was clearly interested in me, frozen and unable to say yes to a damned invitation! I managed to save face – as he started to backpedal at my delayed reaction – by telling him that I also had a pretty busy schedule but I'd check my calendar and give him a call sometime. It didn't feel like lying since 'sometime' was a pretty vague timeframe. We traded numbers and I then drove off.

_What's wrong with me? Is Jasper right about my choices mirroring Grams'?_

I was thankful that the next day was Memorial Day and that I wouldn't have my semimonthly session with Jasper. At the last session, we'd reviewed my previous homework assignment about the influences on my life. Things were going well until we got to Aro. Then he turned his all-sensing Dr. Whitlock power on me and the session became a little uncomfortable…

~#~#~

_He shook his head. "Of all the people you've mentioned, this one is the most interesting. You haven't been in touch with him at all?"_

"_Aside from the annual Christmas card he sends, not since I left for college. After he took Grams' house, I didn't want to have much to do with him. I was effectively kicked out of my own home, so I packed up after the funeral and never looked back."_

"_And yet you still have charitable feelings toward him?"_

"_Up until that point, yes and still do, somewhat. He and Grams were so close, like best friends. He really did teach me a lot; I can't deny that. He taught me to drive. He gave me street smarts. They both taught me how to read tells. For a few years, I thought of him almost as my grandpa."_

"_But he had a wife, no?"_

"_Yes. She died from cancer a few months after I left."_

"_What did she think of your grandmother's relationship with him?"_

_I shrugged. "I don't know. She was friendly enough, although she didn't really hang out at the house with us, particularly not those last two years." _

"_Do you think your grandmother and Aro were involved at all?"_

_I thought about it. "I never saw anything, but I used to wish they were. Not that I wanted his wife dead or anything. I just wished they could be together. He made Grams happy. She laughed a lot with him." _

_Jasper frowned. _

"_What?" I asked._

"_Do you see any other things you might have learned from your grandmother?"_

_I folded my arms across my chest and smirked. "No, but clearly YOU do." His frown deepened. "What? Out with it," I sighed._

"_Do you think it's possible that your gravitation toward unavailable men may have come from watching your grandmother's relationship with Aro?" _

_I sat up instantly. "My what?"_

"_Isabella, you have to acknowledge that the _friendships_ you currently hold dearest and that occupy the most time are with Jacob and the DJ."_

"_So? Your statement implies that I have secret designs for a romance with one or both of them."_

_He raised his eyebrows. "Do you?"_

"_They're _friends_. I only __talk__ with Tony. I don't even know if he's unavailable or not."_

"_You've never asked?"_

"_There are certain things we don't talk about."_

"_Who drives that: you or him?" _

"_I don't know. Why?"_

"_Your late-night superficial chats are safe. It's your way of keeping your distance. If you ever pulled your head out of the sand and met him face-to-face, I suspect you'd run." _

_I considered that. To some extent, he was probably right. I had admitted to Jacob just yesterday that I was concerned about meeting Tony._

_I was pondering that possibility when Jasper spoke again. "And Jacob?"_

"_Now wait, Jake is a real friend. As is Nessie." _

_He reached to his right and picked up the newspaper, pointing at our photo from the Bay to Breakers._

_I looked down. "No." I muttered, shaking my head._

_"Isabella, even I – who has seen a lot of shit go down in my profession – think this is weird. I need you to be honest with yourself: are you sure there aren't some hidden feelings between you and Jacob?"_

_I looked back up at him. "There's nothing."_

"_Yet he's pushing you to do the race with him?"_

"_Encouraging me. Both he and Nessie are."_

"_Are you aware that stressful situations can magnify feelings between two people? Even a 'fun' event such as the race might trigger this if one or both of you is really competitive."_

"_I think it would be fine."_

"_You think or you know?"_

"_I know. I know what I feel for him."_

"_You need to find out how he feels before you say yes."_

"_I know how he feels. We're all clear on our relationships." I paused. "Wait. You think I should do the race?"_

"_Relationship concerns aside, I do think it would be a great challenge for you. It would simultaneously allow you to be in your element and to try something new." He paused. "Why are YOU hesitant to do it?"_

_I took a deep breath and then slumped back in my chair. "The truth?" He raised an eyebrow. "Dumb question, sorry. I'm afraid of winning the whole shebang – local and national – and being a 'reality' celebrity. I don't know if I have the time or headspace to deal with that."_

_He smiled. "Well, let's take it one step at a time. Like I said, get your head out of the sand and stop hiding. Make the space in your life, Isabella. Take the time to do things that you enjoy; you have nothing to lose… and you might even win." He looked at his watch. "Speaking of time…"_

_I stood up and grabbed my bag as he headed to open the door for me. I paused as I walked past and looked up at him._

"_Do you think I even have a chance?" I asked quietly._

_He winked at me. "The physicist Niels Bohr said, 'Prediction is very difficult, especially of the future.'" _

"_Yeah, yeah… I know. Live in the now."_

~#~#~

Make the time. Live in the now. It all swirled around me as I drove along the windy road back to the city. Suddenly I realized that I was driving the exact road as Goldie Hawn at the beginning of Foul Play. And then I got pissed off.

What the hell was wrong with me? I had a perfectly sweet guy who'd just asked me out on a date and I practically turned him down. I had a perfectly nice friend I spoke with every night which I'd never taken any further. And I had a perfectly good opportunity to do something fun for myself which I didn't want to do out of fear. How long was I going to live in this shell? How long would I keep this bubble wrap on me?

_Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin', into the future…_

I was tired of being an ostrich, hiding from things that could be good for me. I wanted to be a different bird. And while my surname gave me the obvious choice, I didn't feel graceful and beautiful. Moreover, I didn't want to be just graceful and beautiful. I wanted to be powerful and soaring.

_Fly like an eagle, let my spirit carry me…_

I stopped at the Whole Foods market closest to my house and rushed through the store to re-stock my fridge with the essentials for the week. After quickly putting the groceries away when I got back home, I dropped my suitcase from the weekend on my bed and left the unpacking for later. I changed into my running gear, grabbed my iPod, and got out of the apartment like a bat out of hell. I was keyed up and I needed to get it out.

I ran from my apartment, heading West, then South. Soon I was on Hayes Street, and while I was still charged up enough to take the hill, I didn't want to be stuck getting back too late. I hung a left instead, and then looped North, heading back toward my apartment in Russian Hill.

When I passed the back of the Opera House, my blood started to boil again. That damned movie was mocking me. I pushed up the hill hard, the timing of the lights working in my favor as I only had to pause every few blocks to wait for the 'go' to keep running.

Jacob. Tyler. Tony. Their voices swirled in my head as I pushed myself. They were good influences in my life… or they could be, if I allowed it. I just needed to get out of my own way and let it happen.

When I got home, I was sweaty and tired, but my mind was rapidly clearing. After showering and getting comfy in a T-shirt and light sweatpants, I turned on the radio and began to unpack. Imagine my surprise when I heard my voice come from the speakers…

_~twtm~_

"_Caller number one: impress me. The question again: name the San Francisco artist who went to grade school with William Royce Scaggs, who was in not one, but two, of his bands, including the band he's most famous for?"_

"_This is Izzy from San Francisco, and the artist is Steve Miller… or the Steve Miller Band. Whichever is right; I don't want to be out on a technicality."_

_He laughed. "That's right, Izzy from San Francisco. Steve Miller and William Royce "Boz" Scaggs met at age twelve and Boz played on the first two Steve Miller Band albums, although they both had greater success once they separated…"_

_~#~_

The clip advertising Tony's late-night show faded off and a commercial came on. But the timing couldn't have been more perfect. It was a sign.

I looked at the clock and realized it was close to 10 p.m. Where had the time gone?

_Time keeps on slippin', into the future…_

No more. I decided to go for it. What was the worst that could happen? My life was pretty dull and the chances I'd be taking weren't huge or life-threatening; this was real life, not the movies. And life was too short.

I grabbed my cell and found the number. I hoped I'd get him and not his voicemail. I took a big breath and pressed send. _Here goes everything…_

He answered on the first ring. "Hey there! This is a surprise," he said happily. "What's up?"

"Hey Jake. We have one day to get our act together on the NSAR-SF. Do you have time to make a video clip with me tomorrow?"

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know… Tyler? Is she ever going to meet Tony? **

**Thanks as always to her badness (in a good way), Irritable Grizzzly. Please review.**

_Post A/N: Steve Miller and Boz Scaggs: boyhood friends. Can you believe it? _

_Not mine –lyric references from the Steve Miller Band's Fly Like an Eagle._


	7. The Guess Who

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

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* * *

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**Chapter 6**

**The Guess Who: No Time**

**#**

I had to hold the phone far away from my ear for the next minute as Jacob whooped it up. To say he was excited about my decision to do the NSAR-SF would be an understatement. I'm not sure, but he might have been doing back flips… which he actually _could_ do. Nessie was laughing in the background and telling him to make sure he did that move on the video.

Optimist that he was, Jake had already downloaded and filled out his application weeks before, fully anticipating that he'd get me to say yes. That night I downloaded and worked on the individual questionnaire, leaving the joint one for the next day when he and Nessie would be coming over. Since the two minute clip would eventually be shown to the national race coordinators, she thought we should showcase not only our charming personalities, but San Francisco itself, so we spent the better part of the morning and early afternoon running around and filming in different locations. We ended the clip with Jake and me doing that silly "Where the Hell is Matt" dance* in front of his Marina bike shop.

Jake then left us to go back to the shop, so Nessie and I went back to my apartment to edit the clip. I whipped up a quick dinner and we settled in at my laptop to get working. We had a blast picking out the best scenes to incorporate into the final clip. Nessie was very creative and had some great ideas for how to put it all together. We chatted easily as we worked.

"Ness, when Leah is back from her honeymoon I want us all to get together. I'd like them to get to know you better." I really did want the girls to get to know her and see there was nothing amiss.

Still looking at the screen, she nodded. "I'd love that! I've heard so much about them." She turned to look at me and frowned. "Why are you biting your lip? You're nervous about something."

Yikes, had I been doing that? Well that was a tell, for sure. I thought about it for a moment and decided it might be a good time to let her know. "They've been a little worried about me… and my relationship with Jake."

She looked down at the keyboard. "I could see that. Yeah, to tell you the truth, if I were an outsider, I'd probably think it was strange too."

I frowned. "Are _you_ worried about it?"

"I've never gotten the sense that you have romantic feelings for him, and I'm pretty good at spotting women who are trying to move in on my man. He has an outgoing and friendly personality, so he tends to attract the ladies, as you might imagine." We both chuckled.

"He's like the brother I never had."

She grinned. "I know. Which means that if he and I end up together, you'd be like my unofficial sister-in-law!"

"Well, first of all I already think of you as my sister. But what do you mean 'if'? I think it's a matter of 'when,' don't you?" I asked, putting my arm around her.

She sighed and leaned her head on my shoulder. "Yeah, I do. It's just a matter of time at this point, I guess. I'm in no rush." She sat up straight and then looked at her watch. "Oh, but speaking of time, it's getting late. Let me look at the applications once more to make sure you guys covered everything."

At the end of the day, I was left with our two individual applications, the final clip and the passport-ready photos that had to be in to KFOG by 8am on Tuesday, June first. The rules stated we could email or drop off everything in a special locked box located in the garage at the studio. Around 11 p.m. I was ready to send it all when technology decided to throw a wrinkle in my plans and internet service went down in my area. When it still hadn't come back an hour later, I printed off the joint application and our photos, burned a disk of our two-minute clip and put it in an envelope, just in case.

I awoke very early the next morning and tried again, but as luck would have it, the internet service was still down! I showered quickly, got dressed for work, shoved the packet in my mini backpack, and left the apartment. I had planned on driving in anyway due to an after-work outing to Costco with Ness, so I decided to apply the old-fashioned way and drop it off at the KFOG building.

I found a parking spot on the street and made my way to the building. On a whim, I went to the front, hoping I'd find a security guard who could take the package, but the doors were locked and the security guard's desk was empty. I went around and found the garage entrance in the side alley. As I walked down the ramp, I started to get spooked. At 5 a.m., the garage was fairly empty and only mildly illuminated by dim florescent lights. I picked up the pace and jogged through the creepy garage to find the entry door to the building and The Great Treasure Hunt Race application box bolted to the wall next to it. I grabbed the packet out of my backpack, kissed the envelope for luck, and shoved it into the slot. Then I turned and made my way to the exit.

That was when I heard a low raspy voice. "Hello there."

My internal alarm system engaged immediately. I turned to the left to see the source of the voice. A short, twitchy man with a beard and dirty clothes appeared from behind a large concrete column and was walking slowly toward me. I nodded at him and continued toward the exit.

"Where are you going, sweetheart?"

My mother's self-defense class lessons swirled in my head. _"Don't act afraid."_

I grasped my backpack and walked straighter.

Just then another man stepped out from behind a car and walked toward me from the right. He was taller and thinner, with his scraggly hair pulled back in a ponytail. The exit suddenly felt like it was miles away.

"Aw, don't be so cold sugar," the second guy said quietly as he stepped up next to the short one. Now they both blocked my way.

"_Speak clearly and in a loud voice."_ Mom admonished in my head. _"Tell them to go away."_

"Back off, man," I said in as strong a voice as I could muster.

"Come on baby, that's not very nice," the second one said as they moved closer.

I stepped back and repeated my warning. "I said BACK OFF."

They stepped away from each other and walked toward me. I angled to face them and backed up as I realized they were trying to herd me toward the wall so that I had no escape. I stepped back again and spoke loudly. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" My brain started working overtime and I mentally recounted my choices. I might be able to defend myself against one, but two was not likely. I noticed one of the parking spots had a pile of something covered by a tarp. I couldn't remember if I noticed an emergency call button anywhere either behind me or ahead of me. The exit was far, but if I could distract them, I could run.

"You got any money, girlie? We only want a few bucks," the smaller of the two said, eyeing the backpack strapped to my shoulder.

"_If they want money, give it to them. Your life is worth more than a few bucks."_

Instantly, I saw this as my opportunity and mentally patted myself on the back for my lame fashion sense. I was wearing a canvas Eddie Bauer jacket – a men's jacket – and my wallet was in the inside breast pocket. With my cell in my right outer pocket and my car keys in the other, my knapsack had nothing of value – just a few bucks and the latest novel I'd been reading. I could throw it at them and then take off running.

"Money? Yeah, I have some," I said, reaching around to remove the backpack from my shoulder. "Give me a sec." I stepped back and to my left. My intent was to put the short guy in between me and the skinny one, throw the bag at him, run around him, and take off; I couldn't run past the skinny one since the gap between him and the wall was too narrow and he could trap me.

I held out my bag. "Here," I said, "Just take it." When the smaller one stepped closer, I stepped back. Then I took my chance. I tossed the bag at him and circled to his left and ran for the exit.

Unfortunately, the other guy was fast. He managed to get hold of my jacket collar and pulled me back with it. I lost my balance and fell into him, my back to his chest. His arms were quickly around my body, his mouth by my ear.

"What's your rush, sweetie? Don't you like us?"

"_If they get close to you, thrash around and yell your head off. Try to hit them in the sensitive areas: eyes, groin, nose, throat. Struggle to get yourself free."_

I started yelling the only thing I could think of as I struggled in his arms. "NO, NO, NO!" I elbowed him in the stomach and kicked a leg up, hitting him in the shins. He loosened his grasp a little. It was enough. I found his hand, and grabbed a finger, bending it back. I continued shouting.

"Arrgh, you bitch!" he snarled as he let me go.

I whirled away from him, but lost my balance, falling down near the parking space with the tarp. I scrambled backward, trying to put some distance between us.

The other guy stood dumbfounded, money in hand, watching the scene. "Larry, I got some money, let's go!"

"Fuck off, Tommy. This cunt needs a little lesson in manners," Larry growled.

"Fuck you. I wanted some money and I got it! I'm not getting into this shit with you!" Tommy spat. He threw the bag down and jogged up the ramp. Larry's eyes took in the surroundings as he took a step toward me. We were backing up into a corner spot. If I didn't do something, I'd be trapped for sure.

Scrambling back once more, my right hand fell upon a long piece of something. I suddenly realized I was grasping a piece of wood. The tarp was covering debris and building materials.

"_Fight. Yell. Use any thing you can find."_

_Thanks Mom._

I pushed myself up, planted my feet and stood up quickly as he rushed me. With my upward momentum, I swung the two foot piece of wood around and upward and hit him in the stomach as I yelled out again, "NO!"

"FUCK!" he screamed as he doubled over. With him bent over, I swung the wood again and hit him in the shoulder.

"GO AWAY! NO!" I screamed as I went to swing again. This time, he grabbed the wood before it made contact with his body. We struggled with it, both holding an end until he managed to wrestle it away from me. I moved in closer to him before he could take a swing, and kicked him, unfortunately just missing his groin while he was swiveling to hit me.

I was about to take another pass at kneeing him when two voices suddenly came from the left.

"I don't think the Giants' problem is with the pitching. Righetti has some great bench strength," the first voice said.

"Yeah, offensively, they need to staff up. I hear that- what the- HEY!" the other voice shouted. I heard something drop to the ground and I glanced over at the two men who'd entered the garage.

My distraction gave Larry his opportunity. He grabbed onto my shoulders and threw me against the wall hard. I felt the slam in every muscle as my back and head hit the concrete. Then he turned and took off up the ramp.

"I'll go after him… stay with her!" the first voice said. As he ran by, I noticed he had on some sort of uniform. I slumped to the ground.

"Holy shit," the other man muttered. I saw his legs quickly make their way toward me, and then he leaned down. "Here," he said, sticking a hand in front of my face to offer help. I rubbed the back of my head; it really hurt. I was looking down when the man asked, "Are you okay?"

When he said that, something struck me. I looked up, but due to him being lit from behind, all I could see was a silhouette. However, the voice? Well, I'd have known it anywhere.

"Tony?" I asked.

He immediately straightened up and backed away two steps. His arms dropped to his sides as his hands clenched into tight fists.

I slowly stood up and took a step forward to get a better look at him. He was tall and seemed to have a nice build, although I couldn't tell much behind the motorcycle jacket he was wearing. His hair was a dark brown and it was long and pulled into a ponytail. His face looked like it could have been attractive, if it hadn't been fixed in an angry scowl.

"Aren't you Tony Masen? From the nighttime seventies' show?" I reached around and felt the tender spot on my head where a lump was rapidly forming.

He turned from me and stared toward the ramp, watching the other guy, who I now realized was a security guard, making his way back to us. "You must be confused," he said. "You hit your head pretty hard."

_What?_ While it was true that I'd taken a good blow, my hearing was still excellent. "Are you kidding?" Then I realized maybe he thought I was some crazed fan. "No, wait, it's me. Izzy- Izzy from San Francisco?" I said, hoping to see some glimmer of recognition in his eyes. The florescent lighting gave everything a weird tint; his eyes actually looked black.

His fists loosened and then clenched again. He stooped to pick up the helmet I'd heard him drop earlier, then walked over to the security guard, and spoke to him in a low voice. The guard nodded and walked over to me. Tony stood behind him so that the guard blocked my view. "This is Eleazar Ribero," he said. "He's the night guard here. He'll call the police so you can make a statement." He started backing away from us. "She says her name is Izzy. She hit her head, El. You might want to get an ambulance too."

"Wait-" I blurted, peering around Eleazar and trying to get Tony's attention.

He put the helmet on and headed over to a motorcycle near the NSAR-SF box. Within seconds, he'd jumped on his bike, revved the engine, and taken off.

I watched in astonishment as he drove up the ramp. What the hell? Was I keeping him from something so important at 5:30 in the morning that he had to run like the devil was chasing him? He couldn't spare a minute?

_No time left for you… On my way to better things…_

Turning to the guard, I said, "I don't need an ambulance. That was Tony Masen, no?"

The guard looked at me warily. "How hard did you hit your head, miss?" he asked, ignoring my question. I suddenly realized that the guard was in on Tony's charade.

Three hours, one police statement, an EMT check and a freakin' parking ticket later, I was back in my apartment. I had to take the day off of work, cancel my plans with Nessie for the evening, and take Advil for the aches and bruises already starting.

I napped on and off throughout the day and was fairly awake when Tony's show began that night. To say I was frustrated would be an understatement. I was positive it was Tony… and not only that, I was positive that he recognized me as well. But where was the friend I spoke with every night? And why had he run off like that? It didn't make sense at all! I fully intended to call in and confront him point-blank about what happened, however, that went out the window when Tony's pre-recorded voice came on:

"_You're listening to Tunes with Tony Masen – Recycled. I'm enjoying some time off. In the meantime, I've left you with some great clips. Remember this?"_

_~twtm~_

_Okay, Fogheads, I'm going to start off the show with a tribute to our friends in the Great White North in honor of their gold medal in Olympic Hockey this past weekend. But first, a question: _

_What successful Canadian band spawned another rock supergroup, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and what was this band's only number one hit in the U.S.? The answer to the latter is, well, ironic…"_

_~#~_

"Crap," I muttered. Yet another thing that didn't make sense! Tony hadn't mentioned anything about being on vacation when we last spoke. I know we didn't exactly share personal details, but this seemed like something he would tell me, like, "So, I won't be able to talk with you next week because I'll be out…" Angrily, I hit the off button on the remote and threw it down on the bed. I turned off the light, hoping for sleep to take over but I was too aggravated. I turned on the TV to watch the late night shows and eventually I drifted off several hours later to a very restless sleep.

~#~

As the week went on, I tried to put the brush-off behind me. However, the bruises that had formed on my arms and body were constant reminders of the attack and how unhelpful he had been. What kind of "friend" did that?

Other than telling everyone about the attack, I kept the details about Tony's mysterious disappearance to myself. I didn't quite know what I'd say, since even I was still processing it. By the time I received the nice 'just saying hi' message from Tyler on Friday, I had a good handle on my feelings. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. I know I shouldn't have obsessed about this, but my feelings were hurt. Moreover, his absence from my nightly routine only served to stir up my emotions again and again.

At my session with Jasper the following Monday, he noticed my agitation immediately, but while I could tell him about the attack, I wasn't ready to discuss the Tony encounter with him either. Nevertheless, I left my session with a clear head and I didn't want to let this fester any longer. I was determined to get closure once and for all; I needed to confront him and I wasn't going to do it over the air or at his building again where he could make another quick getaway. I decided to put another of my useful skills to work that Aro taught me: I was going to tail Tony to his home.

That night, I briefly tuned in to his show to hear if it was live, and then quickly shut it off when I realized it was. I took a quarter-shot of Nyquil so I could fall asleep faster and get up a few hours later. He talked from midnight to three a.m. and then played music from three to five. As I had seen, sometime after five, he'd be heading out from work, and I planned to be there. I'd seen the make of his motorcycle – which was similar to Jake's – and I knew what he looked like. It would simply be a matter of maintaining a visual while keeping my distance so he didn't realize he was being followed. I'd actually mastered this with Aro and could tail anyone.

Parking outside the building, I hunched down in my seat and watched the garage until around 5:30 a.m. when he exited. I could see the ponytail hanging from under the helmet and the jacket with its green markings on the sleeve that was instantly identifiable. I started my car and followed.

As he zigzagged down the streets in SOMA, I found myself wondering where we'd end up… heck, I didn't even know if he lived in the city or outside of it. I watched him ride effortlessly down the streets, his ponytail sometimes swishing against the wind. On certain streets, the morning light was more prominent and when it hit him, I realized that his hair color had some red in it.

Soon we were heading West on 17th Street and within fifteen minutes, we were in the Inner Sunset. I hung back when he turned up 11th Avenue, watching him park his bike a few houses down from Lawton. He dismounted, pulled off his helmet and gloves, and made his way up the stairs to a two-story house. Then he disappeared inside.

I found street parking several houses down from his on 11th, turned off the motor and that's when reality set in. _What am I doing here? Have I completely lost it?_ What if the guy from the garage wasn't Tony? I'd be harassing a perfect stranger.

_No_, I argued with myself, _it was him. I recognized his voice. And he recognized mine._

Which made all this madness worse, actually. He'd recognized me and couldn't be bothered.

_No time for a summer friend…_

What would be accomplished? What was I supposed to say when I knocked on the door at 6 a.m.? All my anger from the past week turned to doubt and I realized I was being ridiculous. I could just see it. He opens the door and I say, "Uh, hi, why did you run from me a week ago?"

_Seasons change and so did I…_

As I sat staring at his bike, I realized this wasn't his fault. It was mine. Did I even know him? I'd constructed a fantasy and manufactured a friendship that clearly didn't exist beyond the phone line. What would this confrontation accomplish? Did I think he'd come clean and apologize? What had changed in a week that would suddenly make him happy to see me? He wasn't the guy I'd built him up to be in my head. Chances were he'd deny me again and then call the police on me for stalking him. It was a no-win situation.

My heart sank with this realization and my eyes filled with tears. I didn't stop them and I let the stress and pain flow through me as the shock of the last week finally settled in. I cried in relief that I'd survived an attack. And I cried about the loss of a friend I'd never really had.

Wiping away my tears, I started the car and made my way home. I parked in my garage, went upstairs to wash my face and straighten myself up and then I quickly left to catch the bus to work. Forty-five minutes later, I made it in to my office. My eyes were still puffy from crying, my body was exhausted from the general lack of sleep over the past week, and my emotions were swirling back around to anger. This time, I was angry at myself for letting this foolishness get the best of me.

Enough. I'd already taken one step toward moving on with the race. Impulsively, I decided that it was time to take another step. I grabbed my cell to make an important call. It went directly to voicemail and I left a message.

"Hey Tyler, it's Bella. I was wondering if you were busy this weekend…"

* * *

**A/N: I know. WTF, right? What was up with that guy in the garage? Hmmm.**

**Thanks as always to the lovely Irritable Grizzzly. Please review.**

_Post A/N: Not mine –lyric references from The Guess Who's No Time._

_While my Canadian husband obviously knew that The Guess Who was a Canadian band, we were both surprised to learn that Randy Bachman split from co-composer Burton Cummings to form BTO. And interestingly, as Tony indicated, 'American Woman' (along with the 'B'-side of that record) was the only #1 hit in the U.S for The Guess Who. *shakes head* Americans. (LOL, yeah, I'm one.)  
_

_*Also, if you have 4.5 minutes to spare and haven't seen the happiest video ever, go to WhereTheHellisMatt (.) com and find his 2008 dancing video. This defines the term 'happy dance,' particularly when he gets all the rest to do it with him._


	8. Queen

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

* * *

**Chapter 7  
**

**Queen: We Are the Champions**

**#**

'Bodies in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force.'

I remember being fascinated with Newton's laws of motion when I first learned about them, and they often came to mind whenever I played pool with Mr. Aro as a child. I loved it when he broke first; I'd watch the cue ball travel straight and fast until it hit the eight-ball rack and I'd marvel at Newton's first law in action, right on the table in front of me.

This First Law also described MY nature. I was a constant thing, a real steady Eddie… until I wasn't.

I had been a devoted neighbor, a good wife, and a loyal friend – until my trust was shaken, until those damned outside forces knocked me off my path.

Did that make me predicable? According to Tony that was an emphatic "no." But then again, he was unpredictable too.

I guess he never really expected to meet me in person. I know I never expected that he would run from me if we did.

And I'll bet he never expected me to run from him based on this one brief encounter.

Newton's Third Law states: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." This too defined my life after the incident in the garage.

I stopped listening to the show and calling him. It was like I never existed.

~#~

The next few weeks were a blur. I was so busy, I almost forgot all about Tony.

Almost.

When Leah and Sam came back from their honeymoon, I updated them on the events in the garage. For a brief moment, Leah went into lawyer mode, looking for angles to sue KFOG for my attack. Since KFOG didn't own the building, I really didn't understand how the attack was their responsibility. Moreover, I just wanted to forget it. Eleazar and the station manager had been helpful enough after the incident, with one or both of them staying with me through much of the process that morning. Heck, the station manager even followed up with me a few days later to check in… which Leah insisted was just their way of covering their asses so that they'd avoid a lawsuit. Nevertheless, she backed off.

I met up with Tyler that Saturday. With my faith in my judgment somewhat shaken after Tony, I decided I didn't want to get all excited about something before it came to fruition; I needed to take this slow. As a result, I suggested an activity that would keep it relatively short and fun. We met at my apartment and did some fun touristy things that I never had a chance to do since moving to San Francisco. We walked down Lombard's 'Crooked' street, then headed over to see the view from Coit Tower, and finally ended up in North Beach enjoying cappuccinos and biscotti. The date was a success; he asked me to go biking with him the following weekend.

Life was going just great for Jake. First, we were notified that we were selected as one of the teams for NSAR-SF, which came as no surprise to anyone except me. I guess I really shouldn't have been shocked; as Angela suggested, Jake's mini-celebrity status probably did have some influence on our selection.

Second, his new house closed Escrow that same week. He and Nessie bought a great place in Pacific Heights on Broadway, about ten blocks from my apartment in Russian Hill. They started packing up immediately and getting everything settled for moving in together the last weekend in June.

The last piece of good news for Jake was that he got an order for some custom work for one of the local high tech CEOs: several high-end motorcycles and choppers, all to be completed in two weeks' time. The possible benefit from the word-of-mouth advertising that would result, could keep Jake's business humming. Plus the staggering amount of money he was getting paid for his work on this rush job didn't hurt.

With Jake and team putting in some longer hours on this quick turnaround project, Nessie took on much of the move coordination. I tried to help where I could, and joined her after work to pack up her apartment. Since she was running ragged getting it all done, I decided to make good on my promise to get the girls together so she could enjoy a little downtime. I hosted Thai food and movie night at my apartment the Friday before my second date with Tyler.

Or at least that's what I'd planned. As it turned out, it was Thai food and 'try to turn Bella into a brazen hussy' night.

"Okay," Angela began, as soon as we dug into our food and wine, "did you kiss him yet?"

I shook my head. "I only went out with him once."

"Are you kidding? Leah's wedding weekend counted for like four dates! He was so into you."

"I told you, we just walked around…did touristy things like-"

"Yeah, yeah," Leah interrupted, "you spent a nice time walking and laughing and having pastries." She rolled her eyes. "Was there hand-holding at least?"

"I'm taking it slowly," I said.

"You're taking it backward," she retorted. "He was all over you at the wedding. You were already in his arms for most of the weekend. You're definitely past hand-holding. Shit, you should be past first base. I'd be rounding third by now if I were you."

Nessie sat up straight. "Wait, I didn't hear all this." She looked at me. "Bells, you said you danced with a guy and then he asked you out. You didn't say anything about being with him the whole time."

"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it," I shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. However, my face had other plans as I started to redden.

"Look at you, you little tomato! You've been holding out on me!" she said, her eyes narrowing. Then she turned to Angela and Leah. "Okay, since she's not volunteering the info, what's this guy look like? She only said that he's cute."

Angela's eyes bugged out of her head. "CUTE? The guy is hot!"

"He's fuck-hot," Leah said emphatically.

I looked at Leah with raised eyebrows. "He looks like your cousin's husband…" I said in a sing-song voice.

"So? I can acknowledge that Emily did well for herself. And Tyler is a LOT better looking." She paused. "In fact, Nessie, I can show you. Swan, let me use your laptop."

I sighed as I got up to get it. "What for?" I asked as I handed it to her.

"The photographer sent me the link to the proofs," she said. She clicked around and then whipped the laptop around for the rest of the girls to see. "Look."

The photo she pulled up was of Tyler and me at the Giants' game. We were sitting outside the suite and Tyler was looking at me as I looked over the game program. Nessie leaned over the table and started clicking through the photos.

"Hey, the wedding was beautiful," she said, looking at Leah with a smile. Then she looked back down and continued clicking. "Holy shit, Bella, she's not kidding. This guy can't take his eyes off you. And he's definitely fuck-hot!" Nessie exclaimed. I did a double take; I'd never heard her swear, as far as I could remember. I took a sip of wine to calm my nerves.

Unfortunately, the sip was ill timed. Nessie sat back down and then slapped the table. "Forget kissing; jump him," she ordered.

She caught me by surprise and I choked on my wine. Angela hit my back a few times as I struggled to breathe. Meanwhile, Leah burst out laughing. "Oh, I like her," she said, pointing at Nessie.

When I was able to talk, I turned and looked at Nessie. "JUMP HIM?" She nodded, grinning. "Are you kidding?"

Leah continued laughing. "Please. I have no idea why you're waiting. While you're out riding tomorrow, find a secluded trail and have at it! Ride that!" she said, pointing at Tyler's picture.

"Amen." Nessie said. "Definitely," Angela said at the same time.

"How much have you had to drink?" I asked Nessie, ignoring Leah.

She rolled her eyes. "Bella, I'm not drunk, and I'm not telling you to do anything I wouldn't do."

"Oooh, so you put the moves on Jacob, huh?" Angela asked.

She wiggled her eyebrows. "Yes I did. That man was taking his time, being all gentlemanly. I thought I was going to combust!" She looked at me again. "Guys like it when you let them know where you stand. Listen, this Tyler guy is good looking, clearly into you, and more real than Tony. The only thing holding you back is you."

I stiffened at the mention of Tony's name and got up, pretending to need something in the kitchen.

Angela piped in. "Sweetie, as much as I would really like you to meet Tony and see how your chemistry works in person, I kind of agree. Here's a real chance for you to be with a nice guy…"

I decided it was time to end this discussion. I turned around and put my hands on my hips. "Enough! Thank you all for your input, but I'm not jumping Tyler. I'm going to do this my way."

Leah snorted and then muttered, "Moonwalking." Then her tone softened. "Okay, I know it isn't your style, but I've known him a long time. He's a good guy. Give him a chance… and take the cake out of the fridge while you're up. I want dessert while we watch the movie!"

~#~

The bike ride with Tyler was a lot of fun. We met Saturday mid-morning, and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge, over to Tiberon, where we ate lunch along the water at Sam's Café. Then we took a ferry back across the bay to the city. Since my past was either boring or tragic, I kept him talking, regaling me with stories of his MIT days with Seth and his world travels since college.

As we left the ferry and walked our bikes to the garage where he'd parked his car, he called me on my conversation skills, or lack thereof.

"Don't think I didn't notice how you made me talk the whole time, Bella. Next time, you're doing all the talking - I'm not saying a word!" he said with a smirk.

"Well, that doesn't give me much incentive to make sure there IS a 'next time,' does it?" I asked sweetly.

"Hey!" he said, bumping me with his shoulder. We laughed and maneuvered around the crowds across the street.

He was quiet as we slowed our movements to stand outside the garage. I turned to him to take my leave.

"Well, Tyler, I had a great time. Thanks for hanging out again."

He cocked his head and looked at me. "Hanging out…" he repeated slowly, then took a big breath and exhaled loudly. "Is that what we're doing?"

I blinked. _Uh…_ "Welll, what do you think we're doing?" I asked, putting the ball back in his court.

He shrugged. "I like you Bella. I think I've been clear about that. I was thinking this was a date."

I smiled. "Yeah, I kind of thought it was too."

He grinned. "So then," he said, stepping closer, "can I kiss my date?"

_Oh boy._

~#~

Nine days later, I sat with Jasper updating him on the latest events. Because the next appointment would have fallen on the Independence Day holiday, I moved our session back from the previous Monday so we'd be back on our normal schedule in July.

The conversation was going great. I had expected him to be pleased with my progress over the past several weeks. As a result, I was kind of surprised when he threw me a curveball.

"There is something I'm very curious about…" he began.

I smiled. "You? Curious? Get out…" I said, teasing him. His expression didn't change. _Uh oh._

"What happened with Tony?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I responded quickly.

"You haven't mentioned him today, or in the last session."

"I've had nothing to say."

He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands underneath his chin. His gaze was piercing as he asked quietly, "Why have you stopped calling into his program?"

_Crap!_ "How do you know?"

He stared for another few seconds, then got up and walked to a small table near the door, pulled out a mini tape recorder, and returned to his seat. He fiddled with the volume on the recorder and then pressed play.

"_You're listening to Tunes with Tony Masen, Fogheads. Tonight, let's start off with an easy one-"_

I sat up instantly. "You've been listening to me on the show?"

He stopped the recorder. "Isabella, he's been a significant part of your life for seven months. I will admit to tuning in on occasion to hear what's going on-"

"Do you do this with all your patients?" I huffed. I was a little annoyed, but I couldn't pinpoint why. I told Jasper a lot of personal stuff. Why did this bother me? It wasn't like he heard the off-air phone calls.

"You've gone through real trauma in your life, and over the past several months you've done really well. More than any of my patients, you seem poised to make a breakthrough because you're fighting through the blockages. So when my _star patient_, if you will, stops discussing something, I'm naturally curious." He pressed play again.

_~twtm~_

_When you think of British royalty, you think of the Royal Family. You think of the 'Sirs' and 'Dames.' But how often do you think of this band? _

_Their list of superlatives is surprising: the band's lead singer – actually of East Indian descent – was one of the most famous tenors in rock. Their performance at the Live-Aid concert in 1985 was voted the greatest live performance in the history of rock. And one of their most beloved songs is the UK's third best-selling single of all time. _

_So, Fogheads, tell me the band, the lead singer's stage and real name, and the single that has ranked in the top three for thirty-five years. Bay Area royalty – kings and _queens_ alike – are encouraged to call in… take a chance…_

_~#~_

I couldn't fully describe the emotions I felt at that moment. His voice, which had always been so soothing, now stunned me into silence. I instantly felt a longing to hear the voice speaking to me the way he used to. Then the anger and sadness that I'd squashed down for the past few weeks bubbled up. I'd have known that answer. And his last statement sounded like he was asking me to call in, but I no longer trusted my ability to discern his intent.

I was staring down at the floor when I heard the tape recorder click off. "The first answer is Queen," Jasper said quietly, breaking the silence.

"I know."

"He used to call you Queen Izzy, didn't he?"

My head snapped up. "You listened a lot," I said hotly.

"You talked about him a lot."

I pointed at him. "That's because you brought him up, not me."

"Isabella, you were just attacked in the very building in which he worked. And since then, you've said nothing. What happened?"

I stood up quickly. Jasper looked at me in surprise since I rarely moved from my chair. Walking over to the window, I looked out and watched a car drive by. "That morning, it wasn't just the security guard who interrupted the attack. Another man was with him."

"Tony?"

I nodded, with my back still to him.

"But you don't know what he looks like."

"I know what he sounds like." I turned and faced him. "You were worried about ME running if we ever met. Well that fear was unfounded. HE ran. As soon as and as fast as he could."

"And this upset you." It wasn't a question. "Did you tell him who you were?"

I raised an eyebrow.

He frowned. "Yet he ran off anyway? Are you sure-"

"I'm sure. It was HIM." I said angrily. Then I took a deep breath, moved back to my chair and sat down again. "Look, I realized after that happened that I didn't need imaginary friends. I decided to take your advice, live in the now and not continue this fantasy."

"But you're clearly still angry about it."

"Damn right!" I snapped. "Wouldn't you be?"

"Yes. But who are you angry at?"

I shook my head. "Me. For being such a fool."

"I know you've only shared a mere fraction of what has actually gone on between the two of you off-air, but the part I've heard, and the little you've told me about… well, I don't think this was imagined. You have a right to feel hurt." He paused for a moment and then asked, "Why haven't you asked him about it?"

I shrugged. "What for? He denied me to my face. And it was such a blatant lie! I don't want to hear his excuses over the phone."

"I think you need closure. As much as I'm thrilled that you've taken these steps with the treasure hunt and Tyler, you need to let go of this. I'd like you to try to speak with him once more and see if you can find out what happened."

My eyes might have popped out of my head as my jaw dropped. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Maybe it isn't what you think… but even if it is, at least you'll know for sure."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Haven't I put up with enough?"

_I've paid my dues, time after time._

"Whatever was intended, take one more step and then move past it."

"I need some time."

"Every day that goes by is just another day that prevents you from truly being free," he said.

_I've done my sentence, but committed no crime._

I grimaced. He was right. I needed closure. But could I do this?

I rubbed my eyes and took a big breath. "After the race."

"Isabella-"

"I'll do it. I just need another week. I'll talk to him next week," I promised.

"I'll hold you to that," he said, waving the tape recorder at me.

_A week. Crap._

~#~

"Okay, Bells, Day two and I think I've got this down now," Jake called as I walked out of my building Saturday morning.

"Good thing," I said wryly, "we're only almost halfway done."

He grinned. "We're MORE than halfway done, considering all the items we collected yesterday, thanks to you!"

I smiled widely and put my bike helmet on. "Thanks to both of us, Jake," I corrected.

He reached out and enveloped me in a big hug. "We're gonna win, Bells. I just know it. My good Karma is working overtime."

"Don't get overconfident, my friend." I said, pulling away from him. "We still have some work to do today." I climbed on the back of his motorcycle and he took off, driving us to the KFOG building for the start of the second day of competition.

The Great Treasure Hunt – SF started on Friday July 2nd, at 7:30 a.m. All teams had to be signed in by eight, when we were given our official team nickname, team numbers, and the rules. We had an hour to study them and strategize. Then they let us go running around San Francisco.

At the start of the day, each team picked a clue that led you to one of ten neighborhoods throughout San Francisco; in the beginning, no more than two of the twenty teams would be in a neighborhood at one time. Once you deciphered the clue, you made your way to that neighborhood and went to one of the participating stores identified with the KFOG flag to get two items that began with one of the ten individual letters of the race name: T, H, E, G, R, A, S, U, N, F.

You could get two items from a location and roll to the next clue, but it was in your best interest to get more than that, just in case you couldn't find an item in one of the later locations. You were allowed to get up to three items from each neighborhood. Once you collected an item, you needed to write down the name of the store and get a stamp on your race forms with the time/date. Then you collected the next clue which led you to the next neighborhood. Each store was officially open to the race participants from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Getting around the city was part of the challenge. In addition, each team was allowed to use its own mode of transportation, which is where Jake's bike came in handy. Finding parking was much easier for motorcycles, and Jake's knowledge of the city was far superior to mine. Between my ability to figure out the hidden meanings in the difficult clues, and his city smarts, we had done very well on day one. We had ten letters completed – one set of duplicates – and a day and a half left to play. All items had to be in to KFOG by Sunday, July 4th at noon.

The three finalists that would be up for selection for the national race would be determined based on points. You got two points for collecting each letter, but you got more points if you collected something truly unique. Finally, the first ten teams to finish received additional bonus points based on how fast they finished, with the first place team receiving more than the tenth place team.

We pulled up to the KFOG building at 7:40, parked and checked in. Then we stood on the sidewalk waiting. About a minute after we checked in, Eleazar stepped out of the building and maneuvered to a corner to have a smoke. As he lit up, he looked back at the group and spotted me. I gave him a small smile and a wave.

"Who's that?" Jake asked, looking in Eleazar's direction.

"The security guard from that morning," I said, turning back to face Jake.

He huffed. "I guess that chicken shit Tony isn't showing his face around here, huh?" Jake had been livid yesterday when I finally told him the full details of the garage attack.

"No. Just let it go. I have."

He huffed again and then shook his head as if to clear it. He peered down at me. "Nessie told me about Tyler. He sounds like a nice guy."

I nodded. "Yeah…" _He's nice…_

Jake picked up on my less than overwhelmingly enthusiastic reaction immediately. "You don't like him?"

"I do, but…"

He frowned. "Tony."

I was trying to let go, but Tony's presence loomed large as we stood outside this building. "Jasper wants me to call him and just get closure."

"I'll give him closure." he said, making a fist and pretending to punch something. "Asshole… leaving you like that. I hope he's at the finish line tomorrow…"

"Jake!"

"Look, sue me if I feel protective of you," he said, drawing me into his arms. I could see Eleazar watching us. "I just want someone wonderful for you, Bells."

Jake's affection for me warmed me. I closed my eyes and hugged him back. "Not all of us find what you and Nessie have, you know."

"I know," he said, kissing the top of my head. He paused and then quietly said, "I'm going to propose to her."

I pulled back and looked up at him, my smile so wide it hurt. "Yeah?"

He grinned. "Yeah. I have the ring at home. I want to show it to you tonight."

At that moment, the treasure hunt coordinators came out and started the clock for the fifteen seconds before start time. I nodded at him and we ran to get our next clue.

~#~

It was 2:30 when we collected our ninth clue in Telegraph Hill. We opened the envelope and read it together:

Honestly, Abe, do you think there will be Rutherford wine in the bowl?

"What the hell?" Jake muttered. I smirked. He'd said that when we opened every one of the eight clues before this.

He continued. "Rutherford wine? Isn't that up in Napa or Sonoma? Bowl? Bowling alley?"

Ordinarily, I'd be irritated at this rambling while I tried to figure it out, but Jake's noisy thinking process actually helped. "Are there even bowling alleys in San Francisco?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yerba Buena. Presidio."

I turned to look up at Coit Tower as I thought about it. "The Presidio is out. There aren't stores there. Where's Yerba Buena?"

"SOMA."

"So that's out too since we were in SOMA yesterday," I said. We were silent again as we continued thinking.

"Who drinks wine out of a bowl?" he asked.

Good question, Jake. I nodded realizing he might be on a better path. "No one. Bowl is a synonym for something…" It was there, dancing around out of reach – and then I had it: "Valley!"

"Again, Napa Valley is not in San Francisco…" he began.

"So Rutherford means something else." I looked back at the first part. _'Honestly, Abe...'_ "Honest Abe, Lincoln…"

Jake snapped his fingers. "Hayes! Rutherford B. Hayes… Hayes Valley!" I looked at him in amazement. "What? I liked history and learning about the presidents when I was a kid."

"Is there a wine shop there?" I asked.

He snorted. "In this city, there's wine everywhere, but in this particular location, there's a wine bar," he said with a grin. He leaned over and gave me a big sloppy kiss on my cheek. "We are the champions, my friend…" he said, excitedly. "We're gonna win, Bells!"

I started running for his bike, putting on my helmet along the way. "Then that's where our next clue will be! Hurry and don't count your chickens, mister!"

Twenty minutes later, we were running around Hayes Valley looking for the three shops with the KFOG banners. We split up, taking a different direction on each street. I quickly found a designated store and looked back to flag Jake down, but he'd turned the corner to check for more banners. I took off my sunglasses as I stepped into the store and smiled at the woman behind the counter, but she didn't acknowledge me. It was clear her head was elsewhere so I reviewed our remaining letter inventory. We needed another F, S, T and U.

Jake ran in. "Sorry I lost you. What do we need?"

I showed him our paper and looked around. The choice was obvious, but we'd get more points if we found something else.

I looked at my watch. It was almost three, which meant this would be our last stop and we had to check in to KFOG by 4 p.m. "We need to get going." I said, putting on my sunglasses. "I'm going to look for the other stores. Film is the last resort," I said to him.

"Oh come on, we're in a camera shop! Film would be so easy to get." he said.

"Too obvious." I looked around. "Flash drive?" I asked, looking at the redhead behind the counter.

She was still distracted, looking at something across the street. I turned around to follow her gaze and noticed two men getting out of a car and crossing the street coming toward the shop. I turned back to her. "Miss?"

She looked at me and Jacob, as if noticing us for the first time. He waved our Treasure Hunt paperwork at her and asked, "Do you have any old flash drives?"

She raised her eyebrows as if she just registered what was happening and then she started moving. "Oh yeah, I may have one or two that were returned," she said quickly, reaching into a drawer. She put something on the counter and Jacob grabbed it and put it in his pocket.

"Great, thanks!" I said, as I started backing away. "Okay, get the stamp and see if she has the clue. I'll be on the next block."

At that moment, the bell on the door sounded as it opened. The two men entered. They were both big and just a little scary. "Hey," one said, nodding to the shop keeper.

The redhead looked nervous. "Felix," she nodded. Her eyes shifted to the other one. "Demetri."

"We need to talk, Victoria," Felix said.

"I'll be right with you," she said quietly. The one closest to the door made a bowing gesture as he held the door open for me. I could feel his leering gaze and it creeped me out. I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact, and muttered, "Thanks," as I bolted out the door.

About five minutes later, Jake found me standing by his bike. I'd found the other locations and gotten two more letters knocked down. "Got it?" he asked.

"Got it," I said. He handed me the flash drive and I added it to my knapsack collection. "One more, baby," he said, high-fiving me. "I feel it, Bells. Things are gonna change for us after tomorrow. We're gonna win, my friend…"

His optimism was infectious, but I didn't want to claim victory yet. "Stop! I'm treating this like a no-hitter."

He ignored me and sang, "And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end…"

"Don't jinx it!" I said.

He put his helmet on and hopped on the bike. "No time for losers, cuz we are the champions…"

I hopped on the back and poked his sides. "Okay, Freddie, let's get going!"

He turned his head and glanced over his shoulder at me. "Of the world," he mouthed, with a smirk. Then he started the bike and we took off.

* * *

**A/N2: Yeah, I know: "We want Tony!" Grrr! Damn story!**

**Okay, the fic is called Tunes with Tony Masen, so you know he's not disappearing from the story. **

**The foundation is set. Jake is correct. It all changes in the next chapter.**

**Thanks as always to Irritable Grizzzly. She's the best!**

**Please review.**

_Post A/N: Not mine –lyric references from Queen's We Are the Champions._

_Answers to Tony's questions:  
- Queen__  
- Freddie Mercury/ Farrokh Bulsara (Born in Zanzibar)  
- Bohemian Rhapsody is 3rd behind Do They Know It's Christmas and Candle in the Wind (1997)_

_So, Freddie Mercury: A Tenor! I thought tenors were opera singers but I learned otherwise when Irritable Grizzzly and I went to see (and hung out with, thanks to KiyaRaven) The Ten Tenors this past December. Their version of Bohemian Rhapsody is fab, BTW._


	9. Don McLean

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Don McLean: American Pie**

**#**

_He stepped in closer. "So then, can I kiss my date?"_

'_Oh, boy,' I thought, 'do I want my first kiss with Tyler to happen on this sidewalk, with families and squealing kids all around?'_

_I gestured with my head toward the garage. "I'll walk with you to your car."_

_He raised his eyebrows and grinned again as we walked with our bikes to his car. He quickly lifted his bike and secured it to the top of his SUV. Then he turned to me and moved closer. I watched as he leaned down, his handsome face slowly approaching mine. I could feel his breath on my lips just before the kiss-_

"_What the- HEY!" a voice yelled as I heard something drop to the ground. _

_Startled, Tyler and I both turned to look at the owner of the voice. Standing not ten feet away from us was a man with a ponytail wearing a motorcycle jacket. A helmet was wobbling on the ground by his feet where he'd dropped it._

_I gasped in recognition. "Tony?" I whispered._

_His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, while his angry black eyes stared into mine. _

'_Again with the handsome, pissed-off face… why?' I wondered. 'What did I do?'_

_I couldn't look away. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see Tyler look back at me. "Who's that?" he asked._

_Just then a car alarm started blaring nearby, breaking us out of our mutual trance. I blinked, and suddenly Tony was gone._

"_Wait!" I cried, taking a step away to see where he went. The damn alarm kept blaring-_

_~#~_

I awoke with a jolt. The sound was no car alarm blaring; it was actually my cell phone ringing. I was too disoriented to answer.

_Damn it! Forget the sex dream: I can't even have a good kiss dream!_

I looked at the clock on my nightstand. It had only been an hour since Jake had dropped me off after we'd logged our progress at the hunt headquarters. I'd been so drained from the day's excitement that I came in, collapsed on my bed, and apparently fell asleep.

I wiped my sleepy eyes and was suddenly annoyed. Tony was now infiltrating my naps and blocking Tyler before he could kiss me! Luckily that hadn't happened in real life.

Tyler's kiss had been, well, great, actually. Soft, sensual, and sadly a little too short. It was so much better than any of Mike's best kisses. Unfortunately, that wasn't saying much. It was a low bar to clear.

The girls each called the next day to see if I'd made any progress with him and if the kiss had been "toe curling." Toe curling? No. A., we'd been on a crowded street in the middle of the day, so the kiss barely strayed into the church-tongue vicinity. And B., I honestly didn't know if I was capable of letting go enough to allow the toe curling… but it was something I was willing to try to find out. Tyler was nice.

I frowned at that thought. NICE? He was more than nice, no? He was easy-going, smart, interesting and very good looking. I really hoped that with more time, we'd develop the kind of connection that Tony and I had.

And there he was again. There was a small part of me that feared that my hesitancy with Tyler was based on Tony's presence – or lack thereof – in my life. I knew I really needed to get closure with that guy so he wouldn't lip-block me – in my dreams or in real life – again.

I sat up and grabbed my cell phone from the night stand. One missed call. As I looked, the phone chimed as a text message came in. It was from Tyler.

**Hey, Bella, how did you do today? Pls call me, I need to speak with you.**

Strengthening my resolve, I decided not to let my former DJ friend interfere with Tyler right now. His text seemed a little urgent and I wondered if it had to do with our plans for tomorrow night.

After three rings, he answered. "Hi Bella," he said quickly. He sounded a little breathless.

"Hey. What are you doing?" I asked.

"Packing," he grunted. "Sorry, but was I getting my suitcase out when I heard the phone ring and had to run around to find it." His tone brightened. "How did it go today?"

"It was fun," I responded. "We have one stop left for tomorrow. Jake is convinced we're going to win. I've been trying to tone down his over-confidence so he doesn't jinx us." I paused when his words finally registered. "You're packing?"

He sighed. "Yeah, I'm sorry but I got a call earlier this morning from my boss. She was supposed to go to China with her boss, but she had a family emergency, so she's sending me." He was quiet for a moment. "I leave tonight. I spent most of today at work getting the files I needed for the meetings next week."

"Oh, wow," I said quietly. So I guess this meant we would be skipping our planned date to see fireworks.

"I'm bummed. I was really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night," he said.

I was a little disappointed, and then again, I wasn't. It was a weird feeling. I guessed I was still coming out of the nap. "How long will you be gone?"

"A week. Can we reschedule for when I get back? There won't be a fireworks show, but I'm sure we can find something fun."

"Sure," I said. "Why don't you email me when you're away and we'll figure it all out? You might be completely jetlagged when you get back."

"Tired or not, I'll want to see you. Let's plan on next Sunday. And don't forget, you're doing all the talking this time."

I laughed. "Okaay, but I won't be offended if you fall asleep on me. My life isn't that interesting."

He chuckled. "Bella," he said softly, "I think you're very interesting."

It was weird to have someone be this forward about his feelings. I smiled. I was sure he could hear it in my voice. "Have a good trip, Tyler. Safe travels."

~#~

About an hour later, I was awake and feeling refreshed. I'd showered and changed into a dark gray top and my favorite baggy "boyfriend'' black jeans. I grabbed the clothes I'd prepared and threw them into a small duffel bag. I put on my sneakers and jacket, grabbed the knapsack with all our race items and exited my apartment. Then I walked the ten blocks over to Chez Jake and Nessie for our slumber party. Tonight I had the honor of being their first house guest.

As I approached the entrance to their lovely little Victorian home, I heard some familiar music and singing, but it wasn't until Nessie opened the front door that my suspicions were confirmed. Jake's booming voice could be heard coming from somewhere in the house.

"Hi" she said, rolling her eyes as she gestured for me to enter. "Welcome to the House of Blues. Tonight's featured headliner is Jacob." I laughed and stepped in. Then I took a look at her and shook my head.

"What?" she asked.

"I was just wearing that same top and jeans today. I'm glad I changed."

"Hey, great minds. Speaking of, I have some more cute tops from Costco. They're on the bed in the guestroom for you to try on."

I smiled and grabbed her arm. "Guestroom!" I was so excited for them. If anyone was to come visit me, they'd have to sleep in the living room.

"I know!" she said, excitedly. "We have two guestrooms! Wait 'til you see how much I've done so far. Jake's all excited to give you the tour."

Jake wandered over, his guitar slung onto his back,, and waved the phone at me. "Hey Bells. Is mushroom and pepperoni okay? I'm gonna order soon 'cuz Marcello's will take at least an hour for delivery all the way from the Castro on a Saturday night."

"Oooh, Marcello's? Definitely," I said. He turned and headed into the kitchen, already dialing. "Hey, Jake, don't forget a garden salad too!" Nessie reminded him.

He popped his head back out of the kitchen and smiled. "Got it, sweetie."

I stepped into the living room and looked around. They'd done a great job of unpacking already. Nessie had hung the curtains we'd picked out, and framed photos were scattered around the room and on the hallway wall opposite the living room.

"You guys!" I exclaimed, "It looks great! Your furniture merged together nicely and you have so many more pictures!"

"Yeah, all Nessie's doing," Jake said, rejoining us. He strummed his guitar. "_Portraits hung in empty halls, frameless heads on nameless walls…"_

I frowned at him. "Depressing and inappropriate," I said, commenting on his lyric choice.

"Heh," he said with a smile as he moved out of the living room, continuing to hum and strum.

I took in each photo, one at a time; some I'd seen before but others were new. I picked up one on a side table. A younger, skinnier Ness wearing a green cocktail dress and a wrist corsage was standing next to a good-looking young blond guy.

"Nessie, is this your prom picture? Who is this guy?"

She scurried over. "Yeah. That was my high school boyfriend, Jimmy Taylor. I dated him-"

"Wait, your boyfriend's name was Jimmy Taylor? James Taylor?" She nodded and twisted her mouth in a grimace.

"Yeah, I know. Poor guy. That's why he went by Jimmy."

"Tell me he could at least sing."

She shook her head. "Not one note. And as you can clearly hear, I really love the minstrels." She looked down at the photo and smiled. "Luckily his looks made up for his lack of talent. He was so cute."

Suddenly Jake was standing next to us. He pointed at the photo and then strummed the chords, crooning to Nessie, _"Well, I know, that you you're in love with him, 'cause I saw you dancing in the gym-"_

"Or at least I USED to love the minstrels," she said loudly, staring at him pointedly. Then she looked at me. "I'm beginning to doubt the wisdom of getting him that guitar."

As I set the photo back on the table, I noticed another right next to it. I picked it up and laughed, looking at Jake and pointing at it.

Jake laughed with me. "I know," he said. A younger Jacob stood in front of his 'Big Red' truck wearing a tux. He had long hair pulled back into a ponytail and was holding a clear plastic container with a corsage. He was a gangly, skinnier version of the Jacob standing next to me.

I giggled. "Jacob, is your tux purple? And where is your date?"

He strummed and sang again, "_I was a lonely, teenage broncin' buck, with a pink carnation and a -"_

I reached up and covered his mouth. "Okay, time to move off of the McLean station."

He tried to talk. "Deyanaw-"

I removed my hand. "What?"

"I was saying, did you know that song supposedly references all these rock legends, like Dylan, Elvis, the Stones, and The Beatles?"

Well that was one very famous interpretation of the song, yes. Actually, I did know that. It was something Tony and I had gotten into in early February, after he'd posed a series of questions, the last of which stumped me…

_~twtm~_

"_This artist's most famous song is the longest song to ever reach number one on the charts with a playing time of over eight and a half minutes, and was number five in a poll of the 365 Songs of the Century by the RIAA and NEA in 2001. Legend has it that when an interviewer asked him what the song meant to him personally, he answered, "Never having to work again." _

_We all know that the song memorializes the death of three famous singers in a plane crash in 1959. That's too simple._

_So, faithful Fogheads, call in and tell me the artist, the song, and of course the name of the three legendary singers who died in the plane crash. But to win, you'll also need to answer this: What 1973 Grammy-winning song, based on a poem, was actually written about this artist? The first one to answer all questions correctly-"_

_~#~_

A yelp from the kitchen thankfully snapped me out of my Tony memories. "Jake!" Nessie huffed, "what the heck is this greasy thing doing on the kitchen table?" She was standing in the hallway pointing toward the kitchen.

"That's a spare carburetor I had in my truck since Thursday. Quil said he'd drop over either late tonight or tomorrow to get it so he could continue with the project."

"Quil's working tomorrow?" Nessie asked. "On the Fourth?"

"That guy is pure gold," Jake said with admiration.

"I think he's gold because of how you treat him, Jake. It's really great that you hired him." I said.

One would never have known that Quil had been in prison. There was nothing about him that screamed "criminal." I had only found out when I was at the garage one day and noticed all the tattoos. He usually kept them covered. When he saw I was looking at them, he told me his story.

"I think everyone deserves a second chance, you know?" he said with conviction. "Luckily those punks he used to run with taught him all about cars and bikes when they were boosting them. He's a genius."

I nodded as I turned my attention back to the pictures around the room. I noticed the photo of the three of us at Footstock after the Bay to Breakers. It wasn't a cutout of the newspaper article: it was a real photo. "Hey, where did you get-" I began, turning to look at Jake. "HEY!"

He was sitting on the sofa with my backpack unzipped. Then he swiftly dumped the contents on the coffee table. He looked up at me and at the photo in my hand. "I have connections," he grinned.

I quickly made my way over to the table. "Jeez, Jake, couldn't you have waited?" My personal items spilled out with our treasure hunt collections and some of it had dropped to the floor. I knelt down and started grabbing my things as my cheeks flamed. I really didn't need Jake seeing the spare tampon and panty liner that had fallen out of the inside pocket. I scooped up the loose change and the pens, highlighter, business cards, flash drive and mini notepad I used for work and shoved all those items, along with my other few personal goodies, back into my bag.

"Sorry, Bells, I wanted to make sure we were good for tomorrow," he said, grouping the items by letter on the table. The tampon and pad hadn't even registered.

"Jake," Nessie called from the kitchen, "why don't you show Bella some of the cool things you found before the food arrives?"

He jumped up from the couch. "Oh! Wait 'til you see all the secret panels we've found," he said excitedly. "Come on." I grabbed my backpack and he grabbed my duffel as we headed upstairs.

I'd already seen the house when he and Nessie had been house-hunting and of course I was here on moving day. I already knew about the secret panels, but I definitely only got the overview during those first visits. There was so much more than any of us had realized. It was like a compact version of The Winchester Mystery House and the House of Seven Gables.

Jake was thrilled because it meant more "secret spots" for his bizarre habit of hiding cash around the house. Jake's dad wasn't big on banks, and if Jake weren't running a business, I'm pretty sure he'd have his money invested in Sealy Posturepedic - where he could sleep on it every night.

I could see the gleam in his eye. "Jake, you're just begging to be robbed. Please tell me you bought a safe," I pleaded as he finished showing me the ones in their bedroom.

"Aw, Bells, how is that useful? What if I had to go on the run suddenly? I don't want to waste time on a safe combination. You know I hide my stuff well," he shrugged. "Oh, and some of the panels in the rooms up here lead to a hidden staircase! I found one here in our room but I'm sure there are more."

I heard the doorbell ring just as we entered my room. We put my knapsack and duffel bag on the bed next to the small pile of tops Nessie had picked up and then I started unfolding the shirts to see what they looked like.

"Do you know the name of the handyman your boss suggested for home repairs? I want to get in touch with him soon, if possible."

"Oh, yeah! Ben gave me his card. I totally forgot." I reached into my jacket interior pocket and pulled out my wallet, fishing out the business card and handing it to Jake as I threw it back on the bed.

Jake grabbed his cell off of his belt and started punching in the name and numbers. After he finished, he looked at the phone and frowned.

"What?" I asked.

"Damn patchy service. Certain parts of the house get terrible cell reception. I have no bars right now," he muttered.

"Pizza's here!" Nessie called from below.

"We'll be there in a few! Almost done!" Jake called back. He stepped closer to me and leaned down toward my ear. "Hey, I want to show you something. Be right back," he said, throwing his cell on the bed and quickly exiting the room.

While he was gone, I continued to look through the stuff Nessie had purchased. I removed my jacket and held the shirts up against my body. To my delight, buried underneath the tops was a black hoodie. I put that on and looked in the mirror. It was a little big, but I liked that I could wear thicker things underneath when needed.

Jake returned and shut the door behind him. "Okay," he whispered, as he held out a velvet box and opened it. "What do you think?"

I wasn't an expert on jewelry, but this ring was just beautiful. The center diamond was about a carat and a half and it was flanked on either side by four nice-sized rectangular baguettes.

He handed it to me and it felt heavy. "Platinum?" I asked. "May I?"

He nodded and I slipped it on my right hand, since Nessie's hands were slightly larger than mine and my right hand was just a little bigger than my left.

"How do you think it will look on her? Do you think she'll like it?" he asked nervously.

I looked up at him and grinned. "It will look like this," I said, holding my hand out to show him, "only better. God, Jake, it's gorgeous! She'll LOVE it."

He grinned back and hugged me. Just at that moment, the doorbell rang again. Jake let go of me and reopened the bedroom door. "Maybe that's Quil."

Suddenly we heard Nessie scream. "Jake!" Then there was a thud.

We both froze immediately as we stared out into the hallway. "Stay here," he said in a low voice.

I looked up at him and shook my head. "Jake-"

His head whipped around and he cut me off. "I said, stay here, Bells."

He quickly exited the room and ran downstairs. I remained frozen to the spot as I waited to hear what was wrong. I gasped as I heard Jacob's panicked voice. "Jesus! Ness… Argh! Who are you? What did you do to her?"

_Oh God, Jake!_ I felt numb as listened to the events unfolding below me, trying to decipher what I could out of their conversation and the noises.

I heard heavy footsteps and then some struggling as a man's deep voice roared, "What did you do with it? Where is it?"

"Where's what," Jake asked, his voice raspy. It sounded like he was being choked.

"Where's the crap you picked up today?" the voice asked.

"Hey, here it is!" another voice said.

"Check it out," Intruder one replied. "Quit struggling!"

There was a little movement and then Intruder two spoke. "That's not it," he said flatly.

I could hear more struggling and gasping. The sound of something falling over. Intruder one spoke again. "Where the fuck is it, Black?" he spat.

"I don't know what you want!" Jake gasped. "Is she o-" Suddenly there was another loud thud.

The two burglars continued talking amongst themselves. "Check his pockets." Some movement.

"Is her purse here?" Silence.

"Here's one on the chair." Heavy feet on the wooden floor. "Hey, this isn't the right girl."

"What? What the hell are you talking about? That's the exact same one from earlier today. Striped top, jeans, brown hair…"

"This ID says 'Vanessa Dwyer.'"

"She's supposed to be here! Chuck said the GPS put her phone at this location. Is it here?" More heavy stomping.

"Hey, look, she's a twin. Maybe they were separated at birth. Wonder if this guy is doing both of them."

"Jesus, what a fuck-up. Get that asshole Chuck on the phone!"

Silence for a moment. "Fucking house has terrible reception." More heavy footfalls. "Oh, here by the door. I got it." More silence. "It's ringing. Here."

"He'd better ans- Yo, Chuck! I thought you said she was here with Black. Yeah? Wrong girl. Give me her address? 1425 Vallejo?"

Hearing him say my address, I snapped out of my shock and quietly backed away from the door. Before I knew it, I was on the other side of the bed, near the closet.

The discussion downstairs continued. "That's not far. We'll look there next. You wait for my call, asshole. And have better information next time!"

Suddenly there was a low groan. It was quiet and then I heard the sound of some low chuckles. "Where's he going?" Intruder two asked incredulously.

"Ow!" Jake yelled. "Stop!"

"Where's your friend Isabella, Jacob?" Intruder one asked. "Does she have it?"

"Oh, God, Ness… is she-?"

"Oh, are you worried about this one?" Heavy footfalls. "She sure is pretty."

The sound of more struggling. "Get away from her, asshole!"

"Tell us what we want to know or we'll make you watch as we torture your pretty friend here." Intruder two said calmly.

"I don't know what you want! Everything we got is there!" Jake shouted.

Another loud thud. "Fine." I heard heavy steps as they quickly strode across the room.

"Dee, I'm not-"

The sound of a gunshot rang out. BANG!

"OH MY GOD! NESSIE!" Jake wailed.

"That was just a warning. Tell us where your girlfriend is!"

"What? That's my girlfriend!" Jake cried in panic.

"Isabella Swan. Where is she?" the one called 'Dee' asked.

"I d- don't know! I dropped her off hours ago!"

I was stunned that Jake could still manage to protect me even as they were threatening him and Nessie. Then I realized how moronic it was for me to be standing out in the open like this. What if they tried to search the house for me or whatever they wanted? One quick trip up the stairs and they'd find me right here in the first place they looked. I quickly moved to the bed and scooped up the wallet and phone and shoved them into my backpack. Then, fearful that opening the closet door any wider would make a noise, I maneuvered my body into the gap and stood there, trying to listen.

The voices were a little more muffled from here and I had to strain to hear.

"Think, Black! Do you know… went out tonight?"

"What do you want from us?"

"Fuck this innocent act." BANG.

Jake's voice cried out. "FUCK!" Then he was moaning loudly. My heart hurt as I heard him begging. "Please, please, don't kill... I … money… you… have that. Please."

"Shut the fuck up!" A loud grunt, followed by a thud. "There… motherfucker doesn't… can bleed to death."

"Jesus, Dee, what the hell are you doing? The neighbors are gonna hear the gunshots and call the cops!"

"Get a grip, asshole! … kids outside… firecrackers… Don't worry… police." Silence. "Wake her up."

"… wrong one… can't help," the other one muttered.

"We can fuck it out of her."

"Christ, no! Kay wanted this clean. After all this, with these fucking ski masks on-"

"Kay's… the police handled! …knows who's on his side. Jesus, stop panicking!"

I couldn't stand it. As they argued, I backed away from the door, pushing between the clothes and crouching down against the closet wall. As my back touched the wall, I felt it give. Twisting around, I pushed on it a little more and realized I'd found the secret panel and it was large enough for me to crawl through.

I quickly ducked in and closed the wall behind me. Reaching into my backpack, I groped around and found my mini card flashlight and I shined it around, trying to get my bearings. I was in a crawlspace that extended about four feet into an opening. Light spilled through the cracks in the floor from downstairs so in order to keep my location a secret, I put the flashlight away and crawled through, praying their arguing would mask any creaking sounds.

As I hit the opening, I realized there were stairs just ahead of me. I reached out and touched them, noting they were solid, like concrete. I quietly made my way down and then felt around blindly, hoping to find anything familiar. My hands and arms scraped against wood beams, and I felt a splinter or two wedge in my fingertips. My arms were getting scratched up. Finally I found a door handle.

Suddenly I heard a loud BANG as the sound of another gunshot rang out.

_Nessie! Oh my God!_ I covered my mouth to stifle my cry and scrambled to twist the doorknob with my other hand. The next thing I knew I was outside.

My brain went into overdrive as my body remained frozen in the shadows in the bushes outside the house. _What the hell just happened? _

Those men were after me! They wanted something, but everything we had was there on the table!

_Were Nessie and Jacob really just killed in there?_

Grams' voice floated through my head. _"Baby bird, God has a plan for us all. Just remember that when everything looks dark."_

'_Grams, what kind of plan could possibly include the murder of two innocent people?'_ I wondered, the numbness threatening to pull me under.

_And the three men I admire most, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost… _

What was the purpose of eradicating two of the most important people in my life?

I was jolted from my brief haze by the sound of voices coming from a house down the block.

"Okay, the emergency numbers are by the phone and you have our cell numbers in case you need to reach us. We should be back by midnight at the latest, okay? Boys, stop playing with those firecrackers! You'll lose a finger!" Some young voices groaned. "Enough. Be good for Michelle or no fireworks tomorrow."

"Mom, we'll be good!" one of the boys whined.

A female laughed. "Okay Mrs. Sullivan, no problem. I'm sure the boys will be fine. Have a nice time!"

The slam of the doors of a car. A motor starting and the car driving off. The sound of concerned parents leaving their kids for an evening. The promise of fireworks the next night.

And inside the house behind me, Nessie would never see the ring Jake bought for her. They'd never get to enjoy their new home or the lives that could have been.

"Jacob… Nessie." I whispered, angry and desperate tears suddenly threatening to spill. I fought them back, willing my brain to take control.

My two friends would never get their happily ever after.

_They caught the last train for the coast… _

No, God wasn't involved in this situation. God had left the building.

The numbness began to wear off very quickly as my brain finally, FINALLY, connected with my body. I looked back quickly to see if the two goons were anywhere around and once again took in the view of the house, only this time, with dread.

_The day the music died…_

With no one in sight, I crouched low, hugged the shadows until I hit the street and then took off running.

* * *

**A/N: As I said, everything changes.**

**Thanks, as always, to the lovely Irritable Grizzzly for her beta-ness.**

**Please review.**

_Post A/N: Not mine – lyrics from Don McLean's Vincent and American Pie. I know it isn't exactly what _I _think of when I think of 70's 'rock', but American Pie is a classic._

_Answers to Tony's questions:  
- Don McLean  
- American Pie  
- Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper (died Feb 3, 1959)  
- __After seeing Don McLean sing in concert, Lori Lieberman wrote a poem entitled "Killing Me Softly with His Blues". It became the basis for 'Killing Me Softly with His Song,' which was covered in 1973 by Roberta Flack (the Grammy-winning version) and then again in 1996 by The Fugees. _

_Yep. All about Don McLean. _

_He's never really answered Qs as to what American Pie is about. Read this for an interesting interpretation of the song's lyrics:  
http: / user . pa . ne t /~ejjeff /pie . htm_


	10. Fleetwood Mac

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: Thank you to ginginlee and Twi-Fic Promotions for the really nice review about this story. The link is on my profile for those of you who haven't seen it. (BTW, I made the banner posted w/the review. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. LOL.)_**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Fleetwood Mac: Go Your Own Way**

**#  
**

As I ran from the house, snippets of the last awful fifteen minutes spun through my head. Nessie's scream. Gunshots. Jacob's pleas. My stomach churned and I felt like I was going to throw up. I couldn't leave them dying like that. I needed to call 911.

But was it safe? I could swear I heard them talking about the police as if they weren't worried about them. My dad had made me well aware that not every cop was a good one; did these guys have crooked cops on their payroll?

I decided to brave it and make the call. If they asked, I wouldn't give my name or location. I stopped, hid in the shadows and grabbed my knapsack off my back. Feeling around, I found the familiar metal object, but was momentarily puzzled when I realized it wasn't my phone; it was Jacob's. I then remembered grabbing it off the bed in my panic and was immediately grateful for that mistake. From what they said, they were tracking the GPS on my phone, and it was lying there in the guestroom.

Unfortunately, the reception wasn't much better here than it was in the house. I wandered for a while, watching the bars on the phone. I was standing at the mouth of an alley when I finally got a signal and dialed.

"_Please state the nature of your emergency."_

"I want to report an attack," I whispered.

"_Excuse me, can you speak up?"_

Clearing my throat, I spoke a little more loudly. "I want to report an attack..."

"_Where are you, ma'am?"_

"No, it's not me. M- my friends, they were attacked." Shit, what was the house number? I just knew where the house was and what it looked like. "O- on Broadway-"

Suddenly, I heard a male voice. "No, I'm still in the neighborhood. What? I don't know… I'm only a few blocks away… Wait. The signal stopped moving." He paused. "Well, clearly it was there with you and now it isn't. So don't give me shit about a fuck-up. Someone was in that house with you and now they're not."

_Oh God! They were still tracking this one too!_

"_Ma'am? Where on Broadway? Can you identify the cross-street?" _

I moved the phone away and turned as I heard the voice echoing down the alley. He'd entered from the opposite end and was making his way toward me, checking the doors and boxes. I ducked down behind a dumpster.

"Well you're going to the apartment, so you'll definitely catch her if she goes that way. Maybe whoever this asshole is can help us find her." Pause. "No, Randy is trying to find out who else she hangs around with. I only know this Black guy."

"_Ma'am? Are you there?"_

I could still hear the operator as I looked down at Jake's phone. What was I doing? I needed to get rid of this thing! I hung up quickly and quietly slid the phone beneath the dumpster. Then I backed around the corner and ran down the street.

His voice was fading as I put some distance between us. "Hey, I think it's here! Not sure. I'll check the neighborhood…"

I ran fast and far and this time I didn't stop. San Francisco was only seven miles wide by seven miles long. Getting around wasn't really difficult. It's the hills that'll kill you. Thank God for my regular workouts… and for adrenaline.

Time just evaporated. Before I knew it, I was on a bus that happened to be stopped. Pulling the hood over my head, I jumped on, kept my head down to avoid the security camera, and found a spot in the back. I sat low in my seat as the bus made its way up 19th toward the Inner Sunset. I couldn't believe what I was about to do.

Suddenly, there I was, standing in front of his home and ringing the doorbell. _This is crazy, this is crazy._ After a few tries, I realized he was probably out. And then I really went off the deep end.

I climbed the fence to the backyard – nicely scraping myself further – and made my way around to the back. It was very dark back there, which meant I'd be nicely obscured for what I planned to do. Digging in my bag, I pulled out my mini light, felt around the outside pocket and grabbed my MacGyver stash: a hairpin, nail file and library card. One or more of these freakin' things was going to get me into that damn apartment.

My big hoodie concealing my actions, I stood close to the door, put the mini-light in-between my teeth, and pointed it at the lock. Unlike the front door, the back door had only a single lock just like I'd hoped. I fiddled around until I felt the tumbler move. Within a minute, thanks to Mr. Aro's questionable past, I was in.

Keeping the lights off, I let my eyes adjust to the dark for a moment and then made my way to the front of the house where I quickly plopped myself onto the floor, huddled up against the wall behind a coat rack. Had I thought about it, I'm sure I could have found somewhere more logical to sit, but clearly logic wasn't driving my actions at the moment. I'd just broken into a stranger's house and, unlike Goldilocks, I thought it best to make my presence known immediately when he returned.

I tried to make sense of the evening, but nothing was adding up. Questions without answers swirled in my head as I unsuccessfully fought back tears. Who were they? Why were they after us? Could I call 911 now that I was far enough away? Would they be able to help my friends or was it too late? Could I trust the police? If I called from a landline, how long did it take before they traced it? What did they want?

I was so lost in thought that I didn't hear his approach until the key was in the lock. My body went into high alert and I stood up quickly.

He stepped in, closed the door behind him, and turned on the light. He was momentarily startled and we both froze as our eyes met. Fear quickly turned to recognition and then anger in a few brief seconds. In two strides, he was on me, grabbing my right arm and aggressively pulling me out of the corner. I stumbled into him as I struggled to gain some balance. Both of his hands moved to grasp my biceps. For a moment, I thought he was trying to help stabilize me, but I was wrong.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" he snarled, shaking me. "How the fuck did you get in?"

"I-I picked the lock," I stammered, trying to pull away. While he wasn't as tall or as wide as Jacob, his body language was threatening. Standing so close to him, his grip like an iron vice, I was able to register more about his physical presence. He was about eight to ten inches taller than I was, and was lean, but muscular. His reddish brownish hair was pulled back in the same ponytail I'd seen when we'd met and his angry green eyes glared at me.

"How do you even know where I live?"

_Oh yeah, this is going well._ "I followed you home one day," I admitted.

"What are you, some kind of fuckin' crazy stalker chick? I thought I was pretty clear with you that day, lady! Something wrong with your memory?"

My heart felt like it would jump out of my chest. This hostility was the last thing I needed. I willed myself to calm down. "My memory is fine," I said slowly, watching him carefully. "I clearly recall you acting like you didn't know me…"

He shut his eyes for a beat and his hands squeezed my arms a little tighter. When he opened his eyes, for a brief second I saw his hesitancy. Then he blinked quickly and his steel gaze returned. "And I don't. Why the-"

That was enough of a "tell" for me. "Aw, cut the crap, Tony!" I said, wrenching my arms away from his grasp and backing up a step. I immediately started to rub where he'd just been holding me. I was already cut and scraped up from stumbling in Jacob's secret stairwell and climbing the fence. Now I was going to have huge bruises where his hands had been; I could feel it.

"My hearing is excellent and I'm good with voices. I can recognize almost anyone. After months of talking with you nearly every night, don't even try to lie!"

His hands twitched and moved toward me as if he was going to reach for me, but then they froze at his side. His eyes flashed down to my hands as I rubbed my arms and he quickly stepped back. "Uh, sorry. I'm just extremely protective of my privacy."

"So am I," I said in a small voice, "but I had nowhere else to go."

His face registered surprise as he looked down at my hands and then back at my face. "You don't have… friends… or family here? _Anyone_ who knows you better than I do?"

"I have no living relatives. And my friends…" I trailed off. Oh God, who were these people? Would they stop at Jake and Ness? I recalled what that guy said about tracking down other people I hung out with. Would Leah and Sam, and Angela and Ben be okay?

"I DO have people I know better than you. But certain people know I know them. I figured nobody would find me here."

"What happened?"

"I think my friends Jacob and Nessie were killed. I was in the house when it happened."

He gasped in shock. "You think they were _killed_?" he asked, looking concerned. "Why didn't you go to the police?"

"I called 911 but they were tracking the phone and I had to run. I heard them talking… the attackers. Whoever did this had connections to the police. I needed to hide so I could figure out what to do." I backed up another step to lean against the wall and then I slid down it. I sat on the floor in the entryway, curling my arms around my knees, closing my eyes and hugging myself, trying to hold it together.

"Hey," he said softly.

I opened my eyes and saw him crouched down in front of me. His eyes were wary, but a little gentler.

"Don't sit there. Let's go to the living room." He stood and offered me his hand, but I waved him off as I lifted myself off the floor and nodded. He turned and walked down the hall and went right toward an open room. It was sparsely decorated with a sofa, a chair and a side table. There was a little desk with a hardwood chair in the corner and windows along the far wall behind the sofa, with blue venetian blinds covering them. He flipped a light switch.

"Please don't," I said quietly as he moved to turn on another light. The room was softly lit and it was oddly soothing.

He looked confused. "Okay." He ran his hands over his hair. "Do you want something to drink?"

I nodded and watched him walk out of the room. I could hear the ticking of a clock somewhere and I looked down at my watch. It was just after eleven pm. What time had I left the house? It felt like a century ago.

I stood in the middle of his living room, hugging myself, and looking down at the floor. I didn't notice that he had come back and was standing in front of me until he spoke. "Uh…"

I looked up and noticed he had two items in his hands: a glass of amber liquid in one and a bottle of water in the other. "I didn't know whether you wanted water or something stronger. This one is scotch," he said, indicating the glass.

I knew I probably should have the water, but I needed something more. I let go of myself and reached out for the scotch with a shaky hand, and then used the other to steady the glass so I wouldn't drop it. "Thanks," I whispered, glancing up at him.

Again, his eyes were soft as they met mine. I quickly looked down and raised the glass to my mouth. The smoky aroma hit me as I took a sip. I felt the burn immediately. "Peaty," I commented, unconsciously, "Laphroaig maybe…"

He exhaled in a small huff. I looked back up and he was looking at me incredulously. "Lagavulin, actually. Strong, but it will warm you… and you look like you need it." He looked around and then gestured to the sofa and chairs. "Do you want to sit?"

I shook my head and moved to the window. I wanted to look out, but fear instantly gripped me. What if I'd been followed? What if I saw them out there? I decided not to think about it and instead leaned against the wall next to it and just held my glass. I took another sip and stared at it. The effect of the alcohol was instant. I could feel my body starting to numb a little.

I heard him move and saw that he'd sat down on a chair facing me. The room was silent but for the ticking. I turned to look at the lovely cherry wood clock on the mantle. _Mission-style._ Well my time with Mike had some benefits. I could identify Frank Lloyd Wright pieces and brands of scotch even in my darkest hours.

I was just in the process of wondering whether it was a working fireplace when I realized he'd been speaking to me. I turned back to him.

"Sorry, what?" I asked.

"Uh, I was just asking you if you'd lost a lot of weight recently."

_What?_ "No, why?"

"Your clothes are kind of baggy. They don't look like they're your size."

"Oh. I, um, I don't really like tight clothes," I said, taking another sip of scotch. I looked back down at my glass and said nothing more.

His smooth voice broke the silence once again. "Do you always wear black?"

_What?_ "Why do you ask?"

"It was what you were wearing when I saw you in the garage, and here you are again, doing your best Johnny Cash imitation," he said with a slight smirk. I knew he was trying to lighten the mood with small-talk but it wasn't helping.

"Black is slimming," I said with a shrug, looking back down at the floor.

"Slimming? Don't you have a mirror in your house?" he blurted. "You're petite… you're very slim."

My head snapped up and I stared at him. "Are we really discussing my wardrobe right now? Two of my only friends in life were just killed. If nothing else, I'm appropriately dressed to mourn for them."

"Shit, I- I'm sorry…" I nodded at him and said nothing. I was surprised when he continued. "It's just-"

"What?"

"After months of speaking, this is the first real glimpse I've had of you." He paused and bit his lip. "You're kind of pale, like me. I don't know if you're paler than you usually are…"

He sure was taking stock of my features. "You must do well with the ladies, Tony. You're so complimentary," I said flatly.

"Fuck," he muttered. "Never mind." He cleared his throat and gestured at my empty glass. "Do you need another?"

I stepped away from the wall and moved to sit on the sofa across from him. "No, I'm sufficiently tipsy, thanks."

"Tipsy? Off of that?"

"I didn't eat much today. We were running around all day doing the Treasure Hunt and then… well, we never got to eat dinner. Besides, I told you that I don't really drink much. As a result, it affects me quite fast." I shrugged. "Cheap date."

"Do you want something to eat?" He stood up and gestured to the kitchen. "I could-"

I held up my hand as I shook my head. "I don't think I could stomach anything really."

He frowned. "You're really thin, Iz. You should eat something." I just stared at him. He cleared his throat again and then put his hands in his pockets. "Well, if you get hungry, just help yourself to whatever you want in the kitchen." I nodded and looked down.

He exhaled loudly and I looked up again. He was staring at me. "Listen, it's getting late. You can crash here for tonight and I'll take you home or to the police in the morning so you can get it all sorted out."

"Take me home? You're going to kick me out?" I asked, in a panic.

"I have my own problems, Iz. I don't know what happened-"

"I told you what happened. Don't you believe me?"

"I don't know what to believe. Look, you _followed_ me to my home. I don't know about you, but that ranks right up there as stalkery 'Play Misty for Me' behavior. I live a private life and I like it that way."

"I'd help you if you needed it," I said.

"That's the difference. I wouldn't ask you to," he said matter-of-factly.

"Normally, I wouldn't ask you either. Unfortunately, we're far the hell away from normal," I huffed. "I- I guess I thought…"

"What?" he asked.

"I thought we were… friends."

He scoffed. "Why, because we spoke on the phone here and there?"

"Here and there? I've spoken to you four nights a week for months!"

He shook his head. "That makes us phone acquaintances. You don't really know me," he insisted. "And if you did, you wouldn't want to be my friend."

So this was how it was going to be. The man I had been dreaming about wasn't quite the man of my dreams. Not that I really expected him to be. Reality usually falls far short of fantasy. But I'd hoped that I was at least making a new start. Well, it was time to cut my losses. I stood and nodded. "Would it be okay if I showered?"

He seemed startled by the abrupt change in our discussion. "Of course. I'll get you something to sleep in."

I was baffled by the gesture. It seemed like an awfully nice offer for someone who didn't matter to him. I wished he'd just make up his mind.

"No, you don't need to-"

"It's not a problem, Iz." He turned and I walked behind him down the hall to his bedroom. I stood outside and waited, listening to him rustle around, then he stepped back in the hallway. He handed me a greenish-grey t-shirt and grey sweats. "These are old and unfortunately ratty, but they're clean and small from laundry shrinkage. They should fit you."

"As you're well aware, baggy clothes don't bug me like they bug you, Tony. But thank you," I said taking the clothes from him. Our hands touched and he quickly pulled his away as if he'd been burned. I looked at him and he once again ran his hand over his hair. The ponytail holder was clearly constricting his ability to run his fingers through it. I realized that this was probably a nervous habit of his, but it seemed odd. His hands always stopped at the top of his head.

"There are clean towels there," he gestured. I thanked him again and then closed the door and locked it.

I turned on the water and let it heat up, then looked at myself in the mirror over the sink and inhaled sharply. I was too pale and my eyes were puffy from crying. My ponytail had come loose and my clothes were dirty and had some leaves on them. _Lovely. No wonder he was questioning my apparel._ I stripped down, felt the water temperature and then stepped into the tub.

The water was scalding and it felt good. After a minute, I could feel my body relax and suddenly my knees started to buckle. I grabbed onto the ceramic soap holder and managed to sit, rather than fall. My adrenaline had been the only thing holding me up and this minor interlude of relief was almost too much. I could feel the tears flowing again and this time I didn't try to silence them. I sobbed uncontrollably, rocking myself in the tub. Oh Jake. Another one bites the dust.

_Wrong decade. And besides, two bit the dust. Nessie. Jake. _

Appalled at my morbidly inappropriate thoughts, I let the water drown my loneliness for just another few moments. I didn't like wallowing about how I kept on losing those who mattered most to me, but today I felt it was okay, even though Jasper wouldn't approve.

I cried until I felt I couldn't cry anymore and then stood to wash my hair and body. The water started to cool and I realized I'd been in here too long. I turned off the water and quickly dried off and toweled-dried my hair. Unfolding the tee, I briefly registered that it was an old concert shirt before throwing it over my head. Then I pulled on the sweats, folded my clothes, and scooped them up in my arms. I opened the door and was startled to see Tony there.

He was leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom, his eyes full of concern. I guessed he'd heard me crying. His eyes immediately went to the cuts on my hands and wrists and the bruises that were starting to form on my arm from where he grabbed me earlier. He winced and then raised his eyes to meet mine. "Are you okay?"

"No." His lips parted, registering surprise at my honest response. The guy thought I was a nutjob anyway. No need to hide it. "But thanks for asking," I continued.

"You've got quite a few cuts on you," he commented. "They're bleeding."

I looked down. Toweling off must have aggravated them. "Yeah, getting out of there and then over your fence left me a little scraped up." I looked down at the t-shirt. "Oh, crap! Am I bleeding on your shirt?"

"I'm not worried about that, Izzy, but no, it doesn't look like you are. However, we should probably disinfect those, just in case you came across any rusty nails." He stepped around me into the bathroom and pulled out a box from under the sink. "Come here," he said, gesturing to the sink.

I stood in place for a moment, confused. Now he wanted to help me? I sighed and moved to lean against the bathroom counter. The box next to me was a makeshift first-aid kit, but it was better than any I'd ever seen. There were ointments and antiseptics that I didn't recognize.

He got to work immediately on my cuts. I'd never been okay at the sight or smell of blood, so I closed my eyes and let him work. Neither of us spoke and the only sound was him reaching into the box to get what he needed. His touch was very soft, but also very skilled. He clearly knew how to do this.

It wasn't until my hand was in his and he was picking the splinters out that he spoke. "Were you engaged to him? I mean, it's on the wrong hand, but…"

My eyes popped open. "What?"

He turned my hand over. That's when I realized I was still wearing Nessie's ring. I pulled my hand away as my stomach fell. "J- Jake was showing me the ring when it started. He was going to propose to her," I said, closing my eyes as I felt more tears threatening.

I felt his hand on mine as he took it once again and continued working silently. I opened my eyes and just watched him, then looked down at the shirt. "Did you go to this concert?" I asked, trying to get us on familiar ground.

He nodded. "Back when I was in m-" He stopped abruptly and his eyes met mine for a moment. He looked down again, concentrating on the last splinter. "…my younger days. I saw them in Chicago… in 1997, obviously. It's amazing they stayed together with all those weird inter-band relationships, you know?"

"Yeah, I remember our conversation about it." Most people knew of Fleetwood Mac – named after Mick Fleetwood and John McVie – as the incarnation of the band that hit it big with their Rumours album in 1977. However, that was just the last of many different mixes of band members over the years.

While I had known that Christie and John McVie were once married, and that Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham joined the group as a couple, I hadn't know that Mick Fleetwood had been married to Jenny Boyd – the sister of the infamous Pattie Boyd about whom many songs had been written. Jenny had an affair with a past band member and eventually all three couples ended their relationships. Yet the band continued on for several years after that.

"I guess some people can be adults about their past relationships," I mused.

"I think the drugs and alcohol helped. And maybe Stevie's Wiccan tendencies," he said with a smirk. "There. All finished," he said tenderly.

Sitting there with my hand in his, his gentle gestures patching me up…well, it was a bit overwhelming and it felt intimate. The energy around us seemed to hum and I wondered if he felt it too. I looked at him, and he quickly let go of my hand and started putting the supplies away. He gestured with his head back toward the living room, indicating that I should follow him. I saw he'd put a sheet down on the sofa along with a pillow and blanket. Beside it there was a box on the floor.

"Uh, the previous occupant was kicked out of this apartment and left a couple of boxes behind. There are some clothes there that you might be able to wear tomorrow if you'd like. They're clean; I washed them because I was planning to donate them to Goodwill, but I never got around to it. I think she was probably your size. What are you, a four?"

"You're Tim Gunn, aren't you?"

He was sheepish. "No, I just know someone who used to really love fashion. I learned a few things from her."

On any other night, I might have asked about this "someone." Tonight, I just couldn't. Exhaustion was setting in. "Thanks," I said as I sat on the sofa and looked at the blankets. He was quiet again and I could see he hadn't moved.

Finally he spoke. "That shirt looks good on you," he said quietly. "It's a nice color… you should wear more green…"

I looked up and saw him staring. My eyes met his, puzzled by his gaze.

"Well," he said, awkwardly, "I'll let you go to sleep. You know where my room is if you need me."

"Thank you, Tony. I'm sorry I had to trouble you. I really had nowhere else to go."

"Good night, Iz. I'll see you in the morning."

"It is morning."

He smiled gently. "Yes. It is." Then he turned and left the room.

~#~

The dream was always the same.

Except when it wasn't.

_The grocery store. The candy aisle. The ring of the little bell. The shouts. The worker who gestured to me to run and hide. The gunshots. The voices._

_Except this time, the scream I heard came from Nessie. And the worker who turned to me was Jacob. I heard the gunshot and saw him fall to his knees. Tears started falling and I went to cry out, but a hand slapped over my mouth and pulled me backward into the corner with the boxes. "Shhh," the deep voice whispered, trying to soothe me, "I've got you."_

_I turned my head to look at the owner of the hand. Green eyes met mine. I turned back to see Jacob's feet twisted under him on the floor. I could feel my breathing getting shallower. I was hyperventilating. "Shhh," the voice came again, trying to calm me. I removed the hand from my face and cried out._

"Jacob!" I yelled, sitting up. My eyes were wet from the very real tears pouring out of me once again. Even in my dreams, I was mourning my friend. Suddenly, I noticed the dark form right next to me. "Ah!" I shouted.

Tony's voice was soothing. "Shhh, Izzy. It's me."

I was startled to find him kneeling next to me. I clutched the blanket to my chest and looked at him. "What-?"

"You were crying. I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to check if you were okay."

"I dream a lot. Tonight's wasn't so nice."

"I can imagine. Can I get you anything?"

"No."

He reached out and tenderly touched my face, wiping the tears from my cheeks. I wasn't sure if he even knew he was doing it.

His hands were cool and felt nice against my flushed face. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see his dark gaze. He was an undeniably attractive man, and yet something was off about him.

I reached out to touch his hand and he abruptly stood and stepped back.

Why did he behave like this? I could get whiplash from his gestures: warm one moment, cold the next. Everything about him was so confusing and contradictory.

"Well, as long as you're okay," he said quickly, backing away from me. He turned and started to exit the room. I didn't want him to leave.

"You know, you don't look like a Tony." I blurted.

He whipped around. I could see an angry glint in his eyes. "What?"

"Your name… it doesn't match your face. Do you ever go by your more formal name, Anthony?"

"No."

"Oh. Maybe it's your hair." His eyes widened. "I guess you don't look like what I imagined. I didn't envision you with a ponytail. Have you always worn it like this? It doesn't seem like you."

"What? Are you suddenly a makeover guru yourself?" he snapped.

"No, I just-"

I must have touched a nerve. His hands were closed in fists at his side. I didn't understand this reaction, but clearly Mr. Hyde was back. Caring Tony Masen was gone.

_Tell me why everything turned around..._

"Never mind. Goodnight," I said, sliding down on the couch and turning my back to him. I could still feel his angry stare on my back, causing my hair to stand on end. After a moment, the light diminished completely as he turned off the hallway light and closed his door loudly.

I tried to go back to sleep, but to no avail. I tossed and turned and tried to figure out my next step. Clearly, based on Tony's erratic behavior and his blatant statement, I was on my own. I didn't have time to be upset at this point. He didn't want to help, although I knew I would help him if our roles were reversed.

_If I could, maybe I'd give you my world. How can I, if you won't take it from me?_

I shook off my disappointment. He'd been a big help letting me stay and that had to be enough. But now where would I turn? I just didn't feel like I could go to the police. From what the Dee voice said, they had connections. I needed to get out of Dodge fast and then see if I could find someone to help me. Unfortunately, it meant doing some things that I would have ordinarily avoided at all cost.

Quietly, I turned on the light next to the sofa and rifled through the box. I found a pair of brown pants, a forest green top and some socks. I stood up, listened for any sound from him, and then quickly peeled off his clothes and put on the new ones. I folded his clothes, the blanket and sheet and left them neatly stacked on the sofa. I was quiet, trained from my years with Mike, a light sleeper. He'd get really angry if I woke him up.

I went to the kitchen, and grabbed the two apples I saw on the counter. Then I returned to the living room, threw them along with the bottle of water he'd left for me into the backpack with my clothes, and zipped it quietly. I paused, looking at his clothes, and decided I would take them as well. There was still a part of me that longed for the friendship I'd thought we had; this was a way to pretend it existed. And right now, I needed a friend.

I reached into my bag, got out a pen and a piece of paper from my notepad, and bent over his desk to write a quick note:

_Tony,_

_Thank you for your help. I'm sorry to have bothered you.  
I'll go my own way. _

_Iz_

_P.S. I took the clothes you lent me. I don't know when I'll see you again, but I promise I'll get them back to you if that ever happens._

I left the note on the blanket, turned off the light, and walked silently to the front door. I put on my hoodie and sneakers and quietly stepped onto the porch. Then I let the darkness of the early morning envelop me as I left his apartment.

* * *

**A/N2: Tony is so confusing. Yeesh.**

**Thank you to the Irritable Grizzzly for her fabulousness and advice.**

**Please review.**

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyric references from Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way.  
_

_Mick married and divorced Jenny twice. Mick and Stevie also had an affair along the way. __Rumors of Stevie's Wiccan tendencies are supposedly just that: rumors. __We'll touch upon the infamous Pattie Boyd at a later point._


	11. Styx

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: Long chapter. I don't plan to have them all this long, but I left it as is because, well, we're heeere..._**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Styx: Renegade**

**#  
**

At first I walked slowly, trying to collect my thoughts. The chilly morning fog was useful; it helped me focus. A few months before, Jasper had asked me to think about the influences in my life and concentrate not on how they died, but what I learned from them. Like the protagonist in Slumdog Millionaire, I needed to tap into any odd thing I knew and put it to use… only in this case, rather than help me win a game show, they were needed to solve my one big problem: how to make myself disappear.

I needed to get my arms around what I was up against. I mentally recounted what I knew so far:

1. Thugs equipped with hi-tech gear came after me and Jake based on something they thought we had.

2. They were willing to kill, and had done so, to get it back.

3. They thought I still had whatever it was.

4. There were at least four of them: the two who attacked Jake at his house and the other two out on the street.

5. They somehow had connections to cops who could be helping them.

That last thought sent a chill that was completely unrelated to the fog, through me. It was bad enough trying to avoid criminals. Avoiding the police upped the ante altogether.

_Oh Mama, I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law._

So the key was to stay off the grid.

That phrase suddenly shot a quick mental image of a poker game I'd witnessed about a year after I went to live with Grams…

_~#~_

"_Okay, I'm here and ready to play!" the man said as he entered the room._

"_It's about time, Marcus. Gracie's been killing us here. I'm hoping you'll throw her off her game."_

"_Aro, how many times have I told you that I can read this one," Grams said, gesturing at Marcus with her chin, "like a book?" She winked at the newcomer. "I hope you brought a lot of cash, sweetheart; my granddaughter needs some new clothes for school and I plan to clean you out again."_

_Marcus laughed as he grabbed a slice of pizza from the sideboard and sat down. "Of course I'm fully loaded. That's why I was late. I needed to stop at the bank before it closed to make a withdrawal." He looked at Grams. "I can't believe he still calls you Grace and you let him get away with it!"_

_I was surprised as well. My grandmother's name was Helen. _

_Grams shrugged. "Old habits. He's been calling me that since we were nineteen. Even though," she said loudly, looking pointedly at Aro, "I'm no longer the clumsy teenager I once was."_

_Aro shook his head. "She'll always be Grace to me. Anyway, I might have to go home and get more money."_

"_Jesus, I'm not THAT late," Marcus said, looking at his watch. "Aro, you usually come stocked."_

"_There were a few hands that I thought I had for sure. Gracie's on fire tonight."_

"_As always," her friend Chelsea said. "I don't know why I bother." She poured herself a glass of wine._

_Grams shuffled the cards using her fancy shuffle that I loved to watch and leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Baby bird, it's all about the 'tells.' Aro has a million of them, even though he doesn't like to admit it." She put the deck in front of me to cut. As I did she muttered, "Which is ironic, considering…" _

"_What are you telling la bella donna over there, my friend?"_

_Grams made a zipped lip sign and then looked mischievously at his stack of chips. "You'll definitely need to go home and get more, Aro."_

_Chelsea shook her head. "I don't know why Sulpicia lets you keep all that cash in the house. What if you were robbed?" _

"_They wouldn't find it," Aro scoffed. "Besides, cash is useful. What if I have to take off all of a sudden?"_

"_Another reason why Sulpicia allowing all that cash is so strange. Statements like that: 'what if I have to take off.'" Chelsea said in a deeper voice, trying to imitate Mr. Aro. _

"_Maybe Sulpicia WANTS him to take off and leave her alone," Grams joked._

_Marcus frowned. "I've never gotten that sense…"_

_Normally I stayed quiet when I watched their weekly poker games, but my curiosity got the best of me. "Mr. Aro," I interrupted, "don't you have a credit card? Why wouldn't you use that if you had to leave?"_

"_Yes, my sweetheart, I have one, but credit cards leave a trail. If a situation ever arose where I'd have to leave suddenly, cash lets you stay off the grid."_

"_Stay off the grid?"_

_He smiled gently. "If you ever need to get lost, and you want to leave no trace of yourself, cash talks-even buying silence on occasion. Remember that, Isabella."_

"_Aro Curvato, don't you dare teach my granddaughter your sneaky criminal ways!" Grams said, pointing at him. "Now everyone, ante up."_

~#~

I began to jog as the words swirled in my head. "Leave no trace." "Cash talks." I knew where I had to go now for sure, despite the danger. I needed to return to the scene of the crime. Jake had cash. And I needed it now.

To pull this off, I'd need a flawless execution of my very flawed plan.

_And I'm far from flawless,_ I thought as I watched the N line street car I just missed ride down Judah Street away from me. With the nighttime Owl service still in effect at that time in the morning, catching public transportation would require some patience. On the other hand, I reasoned, the buses would be so empty, I was bound to be noticed, and if the police were on the lookout for me, it probably wasn't a good idea.

_Stay off the grid._ Right. I picked up the pace and ran back to where I needed to be, staying on the residential streets and away from any storefronts. Those likely had cameras. About thirty-five minutes later, I neared Jacob's house, sticking to the shadows once again. The dawn would soon be breaking and I needed to get indoors before anyone spotted me.

Of course, this plan was all moot if they were in the house. But for some reason, I doubted they'd be there. By this point, they'd already established Jake didn't have whatever it was they were looking for. It seemed illogical for them to hang around the home of a pretty popular local celebrity: who knows who might be dropping by at any point. Besides, since they were looking for me, my apartment wasn't safe.

As I hung back and scouted for any signs of life, I imagined this was what Bruce Willis' character in Pulp Fiction must have felt like having to sneak back into his apartment to get his father's watch. I giggled nervously at the ridiculous thoughts floating through my head. I knew it was the horror of the situation that was causing my reaction: I was about to enter a house that contained the bodies of my two dearest friends and I was petrified. I hoped I could keep it together.

_Sometimes you just gotta say "what the hell," Bella. _Even now, in this crazy, effed-up situation in which I found myself, I couldn't bring myself to think the real line. I shook my head. _Ridiculous. _If not now, when was the appropriate moment?

Bucking up my courage, I cut across the street and made my way into his neighbor's backyard. Then I found the widest opening between the bushes that separated the two yards and crawled through. Going to the backyard, I once again took out my tools and got to work on the lock. Luck was on my side; Nessie hadn't yet gotten around to installing the deadbolt on the back door. Within a minute, I was in their silent house, standing in the kitchen.

I listened for any sounds that might indicate someone else was there, and took a deep breath. That's when the smell of blood hit me. _Oh, crap!_ I'd braced myself for what I might see, and didn't expect that the smell of blood would get to me first. My stomach clenched instantly. Afraid of what kind of bloodbath I'd find and suddenly extremely nauseated, I ran to the restroom praying I wouldn't find Travolta in the bathroom. I'd barely made it when I stumbled over my own feet and fell to my knees. The room started spinning…

…And then everything went dark.

~#~

The first thing I registered was restraint: I couldn't move my arms. My legs were stretched out in front of me, but something was tightly wrapped around my biceps and my torso. I pushed against it and felt it give. It wasn't until I felt a hand pushing the hair off my face that I came to my senses. My eyes popped open and I gasped. Concerned green eyes met mine.

I was in Tony's arms.

He exhaled in relief and smiled. "Hi."

I bolted upright instantly as he simultaneously let me go. "What-! What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you. The question is what are you doing HERE?"

_He came to find me?_ "How did you know where I'd be?" I didn't recall telling him an address. Heck, I didn't even know it.

He inhaled deeply and shrugged. "Does it matter? I'm here."

_Evasive_. I frowned at him, trying to process quickly. "How did you get in?" I said, looking around and thinking about the access points to the house. Was the front door open? Did he find the hidden side entrance?

"I came in through the bathroom window."

Our eyes met. Despite everything that happened in the past several hours, a moment of recognition hit us. "Sixties song," I whispered. He smiled and nodded.

Our "moment" passed. "So, why are you here?"

He sat back on his heels and crossed his arms. "Are you always this inquisitive when you awaken in the arms of a friend?"

"I don't often wake up in the arms of anyone, Tony," I responded quickly. _Wait, what?_ "Hold it: 'friend?'"

He looked at me warily, as if steeling himself for my reaction. "Friend," he repeated.

Now I was confused. "But-"

"Look," he huffed, interrupting me. "I just came all the way across town at 0-dark hundred to help a strange woman who broke into my apartment. I effectively broke into a house on behalf of said strange woman, only to find her passed out on the floor," he finished as he stood up. "So," he said, gesturing with his thumb toward the hallway, "I saw the blood and signs of a struggle, but where are the bodies?"

"What?" I exclaimed, instantly scrambling to my feet. It was a bit too fast and I got a head rush as soon as I got up. I reached out to grab the counter, but Tony got to me faster. I felt his strong grip on my arm and the other on my waist, steadying me.

"Whoa, Izzy! Take it easy."

I looked at him and shook my head. "What do you mean _where are the bodies_?" I quickly moved from his grasp and maneuvered around him as I rushed to the living room. The room was somewhat trashed. Our NSAR-SF treasures were strewn all over the floor and the coffee table was crushed, two legs broken off. A lamp was broken and lying on its side. The picture of the three of us was on the floor, broken glass surrounding it. A pool of blood was right in the middle of the rug… but when I looked toward the front entry, there was nothing: not a drop of blood. I was baffled. Hadn't they shot Nessie too?

Realizing that my life was very much turning out to be like Goldie Hawn's in Foul Play with her missing dead bodies, I ran past him and took the stairs two at a time.

"Izzy, wait!" he called after me.

I ran into each room, opening doors, looking for my friends. What the hell happened to them? Did the goons take them to eliminate the evidence?

I darted out of the bathroom and was heading to 'my' room, when I slammed into Tony. Once again, his hands gripped me, this time on my waist. "Izzy, hold it. Slow down. What are you looking for?"

"Jake and Nessie, of course! Why would they have taken them?" I tried to push him off me, but he held firm. "Please, let go."

His hands moved from my waist to my face. He bent down to lower himself as he angled my face to look at him. "Just wait. Talk to me first. Let me help you," he said, then let go of my face and put his hands on my shoulders. Once again, he was sending his weird mixed signals. For someone who only several hours ago kept backing away as if my touch burned him, he sure was touching me a lot.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply to calm my breathing. Then I gave him the quick cliffs notes version of the events. The men. The struggle. The mistaken identity. The threat to Nessie. Jake's agony. My crazy escape.

"But you didn't see any of this? You only heard it?"

"Yes, I heard it all." I was sure it all happened. I'd never forget the voices of those two thugs. _The voices…_at that moment, the whisper of an idea started to form, just out of my grasp.

"How do you know it wasn't staged?"

My mental processing instantly ceased with those words. I opened my eyes and slapped his hands off me. "What are you saying: that's FAKE blood down there? These were my best friends! Why the hell would they stage this?"

"I don't know… maybe Jake got into some trouble with the wrong people and needed to get out of town?" he suggested.

I was livid. "You didn't know him! Jake was an honest man! He saved every dime from his businesses. He wouldn't make deals with criminals!" I hissed. "And trust me, that's real blood. The smell is what caused me to pass out when I entered the house!" I maneuvered past him once again and hurried to check out the last room. My overnight bag was ripped open and the clothes Nessie bought were all over the floor. My phone was smashed in the corner of the room.

"Iz, I'm sorry…"

I could see him in my peripheral vision, standing in the doorway. I bent down to pick up the clothes and started folding quickly. "Whatever," I muttered, not looking at him.

"But-"

I stopped folding and looked at him, bracing myself for another accusation. "But what?"

"Why would you come back to the scene of the crime if they're after you?"

"I needed money so that I could get out of town and stay off the grid. Jake has a lot of cash he keeps hidden." My eyes widened as I churned through Jake's words from earlier in the evening. _"What if I had to go on the run suddenly?"_ Could Jake have staged this?

"He keeps a lot of cash?" Tony asked slowly. I could tell he was trying to avoid setting me off again.

_No,_ I reasoned with myself, _I won't let Tony make me doubt Jake._ Tony had denied me several times; Jake didn't give me up, even when they were abusing him. Besides, I'd heard it directly from Jake's dad about their weird cash hoarding. I stood up straighter and faced him. "Yes, he does. And since ATM's would leave a trail, I came here." I turned back and finished folding one last item. "Plus now I have a change of clothes."

He took a step toward me, and then stopped. His hands reached up to his head and he did that weird almost running his hands through his hair thing. "Are you insane? What if they'd been here when you returned?" he asked incredulously.

"I watched the house and the neighborhood, and then decided to risk it. I had nowhere else to go; YOU wouldn't help me, remember?" I responded pointedly. "So I gambled on the fact that THEY wouldn't hang around at the scene of the crime."

"And what was your next step going to be?"

"I'm guessing buses and trains would be watched. I thought of getting out on bike."

His eyes widened. "BIKE? How far do you think you're going to get?"

I snickered, realizing his misunderstanding. "Motorcycle, Tony."

He cocked his head. "You ride?"

"If I have to. Jake taught me. I guess I'll go to Jake's garage and see if I can borrow one. Quil was supposed to be working today." I grabbed the rolls of clothes and ran to the master bedroom. Fumbling through the drawers, I found Nessie's stuff and grabbed what looked to be new underwear and socks. Then I went to the closet and pushed on the walls until I found one of the hidden panels. Inside, as expected, there was a wad of cash. I took that, closed the panel, and then turned to leave, bumping into Tony who was right on me once again.

"Jeez! Why do you keep sneaking up on me like this?"

I transferred all the stuff into the crook of my left arm and used my right hand to try to push him back a step. He shivered a little when I touched him. To tell you the truth, it was a little chilly, but I'd been running all morning and it didn't register. "I'm going to get some food." I gestured to Jake's closet. "If you're cold, grab a sweatshirt," I said, running out of the room.

I was in the kitchen, rummaging for anything portable when I heard movement at the front door. I froze instantly as I realized that someone was coming into the house!

I looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon. While knives were an obvious choice, they were too risky. I quietly put the clothes and money I was holding on the kitchen table, then grabbed the cast iron frying pan from the stove and moved out of view, standing with my back against the wall right by the kitchen doorframe. I felt ridiculous.

"Look," a voice said, "I'll check here one more time, just like they asked me to." I heard the front door shut. "I think this is a stupid idea – but just in case it wasn't her and she doesn't know…"

I realized I recognized the voice. It was the same man who'd hunted me in the alley. Was this "Chuck?"

My heart was beating wildly as I listened. I almost dropped the pan when he suddenly shouted, "Fuck me! Randy, the bodies are gone! Lemme call Kay!" He paused for a moment. "Yeah, well, I think he needs to know this so I'm bypassing those two assholes. Call you back."

I heard footsteps rapidly moving toward the kitchen. Waiting for the right moment, I swung the pan at his surprised face as soon as he stepped into the kitchen, knocking the phone out of his hand.

"Fuck!" he shouted, his hands covering his face as blood gushed from his nose. The sight and smell ordinarily would have sent me into a dizzy tailspin, but I was too wired and pissed off. I rushed at him before he could get his bearings and kicked him in the groin, causing him to double over. "Bitch!" he cried.

Damn straight! "This is for Jacob and Nessie, asshole!" I shouted, bringing the pan down on his head.

The last blow did it. He collapsed to the floor at the foot of the stairs. _Huh, a frying pan, _I thought incredulously. _Who knew?_

"Holy shit!" My head snapped up to see Tony at the top of the stairs gaping at me. "Remind me not to piss you off!"

I let go of the pan with a loud clank and then realized someone was talking. I gestured for him to shut it, then scrambled for the phone and listened. Someone was practically growling from the other end, "Chuck? Chuck? Why are you calling me, you moron? What the hell is happening?" I noted that it was neither of the thugs' voices. While part of me wanted to say something to the jerk on the other end, logic prevailed. I hung up and turned to face Tony who had made it down the stairs and was looking at me with surprise mixed with awe. Then we both looked at the phone in my hand that had started to ring. 'D' was calling. I dropped it.

"Whoever that is knows something went wrong here. I've gotta go now!" I said, running toward the bathroom to get my backpack.

"You mean, WE'VE gotta go, Iz."

I stopped, turned around and looked at him. "We?"

"Yeah. While it doesn't look like you need my help fighting them off," he said, gesturing at Chuck, "you might need my help getting out of town."

"You're helping me? Why?"

He threw his hands up in the air. "Jesus Fucking Christ, do you want help or what?" he asked, frustrated.

_There we go. THAT guy I recognize._

I shook my head, considering the situation. My apartment was just minutes down the road. They could be here any moment. Could I trust him not to flake out on me?

He must have sensed my doubt because his tone was soft when he spoke again. "I won't abandon you, Izzy. Let me help."

I could only hope that the DJ Tony I liked so much was buried somewhere in the baffling being standing in front of me. I took a leap of faith and nodded. "Please."

Getting my bag from the bathroom, I made one last pass through the first level, looking for any items that might come in handy. Nessie's purse lay open on the couch and I grabbed her ID and phone. Shoving them in my bag, I ran to their office down the hall and grabbed a few more random items: paper clips, a small pair of sheathed scissors, and Super Glue.

He was standing at the front door with his hand extended toward me. "Come on!"

I put my hand in his and he yanked me out the door with him. Then we hurried out to the front yard. "Where do we go now?" I asked.

"The Presidio."

~#~

Of the many things I had imagined about Tony Masen, Volvo driver was not one of them. Heck, there was so little I knew about him, and now here I was, running away with him.

Within minutes, we were somewhere in the park. I'd only ever visited the Presidio once and now I realized it was much bigger than I thought. I had no idea where we were going… or why Tony suddenly stopped the car and told me to get out.

My heart stopped. "WHAT?"

"I need for you to wait here while I get some things coordinated."

I looked around. "Here?" We were in a parking lot. There were old military buildings around us, but I didn't know if they were still in use. "Why can't I come with you?"

"If someone saw this car, they'll follow me and you'll still be safe. Don't worry. I'll be back soon. Just stay out of sight." He looked me over and smiled. "At least you'll blend in now that you're not in your Johnny Cash-wear."

He was making jokes now? I got out of the car with my bag, closed the door and looked at him once more as I stood there. Would this be the last time I saw him?

He rolled down the passenger-side window and stretched his arm out toward me, silently asking for my hand. I relented and he squeezed it. "Izzy, I won't let you down," he said quietly. Then he let go and I backed away. He circled around me and drove off down a side road.

I moved to sit near some bushes along a path, keeping out of the light. I tried to add the latest pieces of the mystery together. Chuck had been surprised that Jake and Nessie were missing. Were his partners in crime keeping something from him? He never got to confirm whether Dee and friend had done this or if Kay knew about it. And Kay was clearly angry that Chuck had called him. Would Randy come to find Chuck when he didn't call back as he'd said he would? Had Randy found my friends-

My friends! Crap! I needed to tell someone that I was leaving so they wouldn't panic. If Jake and Nessie's bodies were found, or if it got out that Jake and I never finished the race, my friends might get drawn into this horror.

I stood and looked around for a map of the park so I could see if there was a payphone anywhere nearby. I spotted one about a hundred yards off and ran to it. As I scanned the map, I noticed the closest one looked to be about a quarter-mile away. Could I make it there and back before Tony returned? Then I realized I only had a few pennies and a nickel or two in my bag, and at this time of the morning, I was unlikely to be able to bum some coins off of anyone.

I reached in and grabbed Nessie's phone. I stared at it for a moment, wondering if they had tracked hers as well. _If I have to, I can dump the phone and hide again. I do blend in better here._

I had to risk it. I couldn't let my other friends get sucked into this mess. I turned on her phone and called Ben's work line. When I got voicemail, I left a message. "Ben, this is Iz. I- I had a bit of an emergency and had to leave town to deal with something. I'll give you a call once I land. Just wanted to give you the heads up that I'll be out of work this week. Please tell Ange I won't be able to have lunch with her on Wednesday and to pass it on to Leah. Thanks." I quickly hung up the phone and turned it off.

I sat for another five minutes, then got up to stretch my legs and scanned in the direction that Tony had driven off. Looking at my watch, I guessed he'd been gone about a half-hour by now. Willing myself not to panic, I walked out into the parking lot and kept a lookout for his silver Volvo. I could see far down toward the marina that workers were setting up cones, readying the park for the rush of people who would be coming to get good spots for the festivities in Crissy Field and along the water today and tonight.

I noticed movement as a car made its way into the park from the Marina, driving fast. For a moment my heart leapt as I thought Tony was on his way, until I realized the car was black and it was an SUV. With a feeling of foreboding, I tried to figure out why this car would be moving like a bat out of hell at this time in the morning and then mentally kicked myself. They'd been tracking Nessie's phone too. Shit!

"I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue," I muttered as I took off running. I heard the sound of the engine speeding up somewhere behind me. Legs versus wheels; not exactly a fair fight.

I willed my feet to keep going despite my seemingly endless state of panic. I made it out of the open parking lot areas as soon as I saw the black SUV enter this section of the park, and ran for the woods. Scrambling through the eucalyptus trees, I was suddenly thankful for my outfit. Then I heard something go whizzing by me, about ten feet away. Were they shooting at me in an open park? Another bullet went whizzing by, about five feet away. _Holy crap! Where IS he? _

I scrambled up the hill, keeping the Park Trail path in sight to give me a general sense of the direction I needed to go. I ducked and weaved, praising the fog that was rolling in as I hid behind trees to avoid being in view of the car down below. I hadn't been to the Presidio recently, but I thought if I made my way up to the top of the hill, I'd hit 101 somewhere near the Golden Gate Bridge. I struggled to keep my thoughts focused. Where was I going? Could they follow me this way or was there another way up for them? If he came back, would he be able to track me?

I berated my stupidity as I kept moving. _I should have never made that call!_ No, it went back further than that. _I should have never listened to my girlfriends. I should have stayed in the damn apartment._ Ah, who was I kidding? Sitting in that apartment was what got me into this mess in the first place…

_~twtm~_

"_Well, it appears we have some night-owl Steelers fans here on the left coast. Mark from the Mission asked me to play Styx's Renegade for him in honor of the Steelers-Chargers game this weekend. Well Mark, I'll play the song for your pansy-ass team's defense, but only after someone answers my question._

_Riddle me this, Batman: How many of the original members are still part of the band today? It's not as obvious as you might think…"_

_~#~_

Stupid radio program. Stupid velvety, seductive voice that kept me up listening until the wee morning hours. Yeah, I knew the answer and I had called in.

My anger kicked into high gear as I suddenly had an urge to murder Tony for leaving me here like this.

_The jig is up, the news is out, they finally found me…_

They'd found me, but I'd be damned if they were going to get me! As I neared the top of the hill, I looked over my shoulder and watched the SUV loop around to make its way back out of the park. Where were they going now? I saw them zoom to the right and realized they were likely coming this way. I climbed over the wall, then looked around and wondered if I could make it across this two-lane part of 101 and over to the other section of the park.

Suddenly a motorcycle turned the corner and slowed as it neared me. Getting ready to bolt back down the hill, I heard my name being called. "Ms. Swan!" I did a double-take as I realized it was Eleazar. He extended his hand toward me and hissed, "Get on!"

"They have guns!" I said. He nodded and gestured with his hand to hurry.

I climbed on and hugged his burly frame tightly as he took off.

He turned his head so that I could hear him, "Tony sent me. Hang on! We're going to make some sharp turns in a few seconds."

I could hear a motor coming on fast and knew they were right behind us. Eleazar started zigzagging, trying to mess up the shooter's aim. He dodged around some cars and then just as we were in sight of the toll booth, the car started coming up on our left. Eleazar looked over his right shoulder and then spun us, making a sharp right down a one-way road. The SUV zoomed past and couldn't make the turn with the police in sight at the bridge. I saw them heading North as we maneuvered around the cars back down into the Presidio.

As he sped us out past Chrissy Field, he turned and glanced over his left shoulder to see if the goons were still driving away from us. "Where's Tony?" I asked loudly, so I could be heard over the motor.

"I'm taking you to him. Don't worry, Ms. Swan. He'll help you."

His tone was respectful and almost reverential as he said that. He clearly had a connection to Tony that went deep. I wanted to ask him a million things, but I suspected that he wouldn't reveal any more than Tony had.

Within a minute, we were pulling up to a marina just outside of the park. He let me dismount first and he did the same while he looked around, checking to see if we were followed. He removed his helmet, then grabbed my hand and we ran. As we made a left down one of the docks, I saw a dark-haired woman about my height running toward us. "Gracias a Dios," she said, hugging Eleazar.

Eleazar turned to me. "This is my wife, Carmen. Carmen, this is Ms. Swan." She smiled at me and turned to her husband. "He's ready."

He kissed his wife and then gestured away from the dock. "The bike is out there," he said, handing her his helmet. "Get it to Building H. I'll be by to pick you up in a few minutes." She turned and hurried off.

Eleazar rushed down the dock with me on his heels. The next thing I knew, he was grabbing my hand again and helping me on-board a boat. The engine was already on and rumbling. Tony was tying down a tarp at the front of the boat when he spotted us. He looked at me with relief in his eyes and then he took in my disheveled state and they widened. "What happened?"

"I did something stupid and they found me. They were shooting. I had to run."

His jaw dropped and then he looked at Eleazar with gratitude.

"My God, El, I don't know what I can do to repay you-"

Eleazar held his hand up. "You know that _I_ owe _you_. I'm happy to be able to help." He extended his hand and they shook. Then Tony gave him a set of keys. "Parked down the block. Keep it out of sight and keep yourselves safe."

"You do the same." Eleazar turned to me and smiled. "You're clearly a woman of many talents. Be careful, Ms. Swan."

I was suddenly overwhelmed that he'd been there once again to help me. I stepped forward and hugged him. He seemed shocked at first, but then I felt his arms around me. He whispered in my ear, "He runs a little hot and cold sometimes, I know, but he's a good guy." I could see Tony standing near, watching us carefully.

I let go and then he backed away and jumped off the boat. "Take care of each other," he said, and hurried away. Tony moved quickly and un-tethered the rope that held us to the dock. Moving to the controls, he backed us out of the spot and then slowly guided the boat around the marina until we were free of the dock. I moved closer and stood next to him, silently watching his actions.

"Well, alone at last," he said, not looking at me. "Have you ever driven a boat?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Come here," he said, stepping aside. I stepped into his spot and took the wheel. He moved away and continued doing various things around the deck.

_A little help, Tony!_ "What am I supposed to do?"

He pointed toward the East. "Go that way, very fast. If something gets in your way, turn."

Was he seriously quoting 80's movies at me? I frowned at him and he smirked. "Well, the directions fit, no?" he said with a shrug.

I followed his instructions while he kept flitting around on the boat. I couldn't believe what had happened in the last twenty-four hours. _Maybe I'm trapped in 70's and 80's movies, _I thought, a little hysterically._ This part is the Jerry Bruckheimer sequel to Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Cars, Bikes, and Boats_. I gripped the steering wheel; it was the only thing keeping me standing at the moment.

After about two minutes, I felt him directly behind me. He placed his left hand on the steering wheel next to mine as the other hand moved to the throttle. "Well, one thing's for sure, darlin'," he said in that seductive radio voice I knew so well and leaned closer, his breath on my ear, "Your ass is gonna be sore by the time we're through."

I inhaled sharply and froze. Apparently I'd found the appropriate moment at last.

_WHAT. THE. FUCK?_

* * *

**A/N2: Ruh, roh, she's in Tony's hands now. Who is this guy and where will he take her? **

**After the last chapter, Tony had a bunch of things to tell me ("Odd," Irritable Grizzzly said, "because he's been so reticent")... sooo, I have an outtake coming of his POV from the last chapter. Trying to decide if I should wait until after the next chapter to post it or post it sooner. Depends on what he's thinking. We shall see… **

**Thank you to IG for her faithful beta-tude.**

**Please review.  
**

_Post A/N: Not mine – lyrics from Styx's Renegade and lines from the movies: Airplane!, Better Off Dead and Risky Business. References to Pulp Fiction involve the middle segment of the movie. Everything important in that movie happens when Travolta is in the bathroom._

_Answer to Tony's question:_

_Technically, none! Twins __Chuck and John Panozzo, and Dennis DeYoung__ formed the band in the early 60s under a different name. Nine years and several band member changes later, the band became Styx. Only James "J.Y." Young, who was a member when the band changed its name to Styx, is still with the band today. Chuck isn't a regular member anymore, although he plays with them on occasion. John died in 1996. Dennis is no longer with the band at all. The surprise for me was that Tommy Shaw wasn't an original band member.  
_

_Renegade is the "theme song" for the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense._


	12. Bruce Springsteen

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run**

**#  
**

_OH. MY. GOD! What did he just say to me? _ _"Your ass is gonna be sore when we're through"?_

Despite the chilly morning air and the wind whipping around us as we moved across the water, I could feel the heat off his body. He was standing directly behind me – I mean flush against me, since he practically had to wedge himself between me and the chair behind us - his arms on either side of mine, effectively trapping me in place. My hands were glued to the steering wheel... so when I whipped my head to look at him, they moved with my body, turning the steering wheel as well.

"Whoa, Izzy!" he exclaimed, grabbing the wheel to put us back on course. "Here, let me take over." He moved his left arm and I quickly backed away from him and grabbed onto the nearest railing.

I stood there, churning through his statement, trying to figure out what that could possibly mean and then realized I must have misheard.

_Right, Tony? I misheard; you couldn't have meant… I mean, you don't… _

_Maybe it was…Your sass will even the score? Possibly. I can be sassy when needed._

_The bass will be on the floor? THAT could be right; we're on a boat…_

I heard a chuckle and I looked up. He was watching at me out of the corner of his eye but when my gaze met his, he shook his head and turned back to watch where he was going. "Look at your face," he said, clearly trying to fight a smile.

My face completely betrayed my internal shock and confusion as I stared at him. I realized my mouth was hanging open and I closed it, but I'm pretty sure my eyes were popping out of my head. He pursed his lips, and then peeked at me again. Finally he let out a laugh. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Izzy."

_What?_ I felt myself flush. "I, I wasn't-" I stammered. I obviously _had_ heard him correctly.

"Oh, really, my little red-faced friend? Then what _were_ you thinking about just now?" he asked with a smirk.

Unfortunately, I wanted to think of anything else _besides_ my sore ass and the potential causes, but that was the only thing I could think of right now. It's like when someone says "do not think of orange bellbottoms." It's all you can think about.

He chuckled again and when I looked at him this time, his face went blank to hide his amusement.

I frowned at him. "I was just trying to figure out what you could possibly have meant by that statement." _Quoth the raven, nevermore?_ _Okay, now you're getting loony._

"And your mind automatically jumped there, huh?" He inclined his head in my direction and gave me an innocent look. "Why Izzy, what kind of guy do you think I am?"

_I have no idea._ "Well, what did you mean then?"

He turned forward again. "You'll find out soon enough. Don't worry, darlin'," he said in that bedroom voice, giving me a sly side-glance, "you're in good hands. We're going to get very, very close."

Another confusing statement I didn't want to think about. I needed to change the subject. "So," I said, looking around, "how far can we get in this? As far as fast escapes go, we seemed to be plodding along."

"It'll get us where we need to be."

"But if those goons come back around…"

"We're fine, Izzy," he said, as he steered the boat to the right, staying near the San Francisco side of the Bay.

I turned to face outward and tried to remember the overall Bay Area layout. Where was he going? At a certain point down South, the Bay ended and you hit land. Besides, at our pace, those guys could circle around and find us in short order. "You're gonna need a bigger boat," I muttered, doing my best Roy Schneider imitation.

"It's not the size of the boat, sweetheart, it's the motion of the ocean. Although, I think I have a pretty decent boat size."

I whirled around, my mouth hanging open again. "I can't believe you just said that!"

"I'm just talking about boats here," he said, trying to pull off that innocent act again.

"Oh, come on, that's blatant innuendo, on top of everything else you've already said!"

He bit his bottom lip and gave me a cocky grin. "Fuck, you're fun to tease now that I know what to do."

I scoffed. "We haven't been together for a day and you already know my tells?"

"Your tell-" he began and then stopped himself. He raised an eyebrow and his eyes scanned my body slowly, making his way down and then back up to meet my gaze. "Well, you weren't easy to read at first, but your tone and body language give a lot away. Not to mention that adorable blush of yours."

His look was unnerving and I started turning pink. _Crap!_

"See what I mean?"

"You'd be the first person to tell me that," I said, trying to minimize my embarrassment. "Aside from my ridiculous blushing, everyone says I give almost nothing away."

His eyes shifted to look ahead again. "Maybe I'm the first person who's really paid attention. Or the first with whom you've let your guard down."

I frowned. That didn't make sense. Tony was the one person in my life where my guard should have been up in a big way.

"So are you a spy or something?" he asked.

"What?"

"You picked the locks on two apartments and beat up would-be muggers and goons with sticks and frying pans. You dodge bullets and are able to identify high-end brands of scotch with a sniff." He looked at me with admiration. "That's some serious talent. So?"

_He's_ asking me who _I _am? Uh uh. Two could play at that game. "How did you know you'd find me at Jake's, or even where his house was?" Tony's brow furrowed as I turned the tables on him. I quickly mustered up the courage and softened my voice, trying to make it as flirty as possible. "Come on, Tony, I'll show you mine if you show me yours," I said with a smile.

His eyes widened in surprise as he stared at me. Then he blinked and slowly smiled back. "Touché," he said with a nod as he turned his gaze back ahead of him, obviously just as unwilling to answer my questions. He played with the throttle and other controls as the boat began to slow. "We're here."

I stepped away from the rail and took in our location. The Giants' stadium was in view. We were pulling up to the South Beach Marina. "Here? We haven't left the city."

"Exactly. Those guys will be looking for us to land over in Marin, or Berkeley, or even Richmond. Hopefully, this buys us a little time and distance."

He slowly maneuvered around the marina and pulled into a spot. Then he turned off the boat and moved to get us tied up to the dock. He flitted around so fast, it was almost a blur. The next thing I knew, he was standing on the dock, a large duffel bag at his feet, gesturing to me. "Come on," he said, extending his hand so he could help me off the boat.

Putting my backpack on, I reached for him and jumped off. Never letting go of me, he grabbed the duffel with his other hand and hurried us off the dock and out of the marina.

Crossing over the Embarcadero, we walked swiftly down 2nd Street. A lot of the buildings seemed like warehouses, but it was a Sunday and a holiday and nothing was open. Suddenly, the buildings started looking more familiar and my heart froze as I realized we were near Jake's garage.

"Come on, Iz!" Tony hissed, tugging on my arm. In my shock, I hadn't realized I'd frozen in place and stopped walking. I shook myself out of my stupor, picked up the pace, and prayed that we weren't going to the Bike Shop: I knew my heart wouldn't be able to take it.

I was about to ask where the hell we were going when he stopped, let go of my hand, and reached into his pocket for some keys. He opened the door and ushered me in, quickly following, and locking the door behind us. Then he moved to another door and punched in a code on the security panel on the wall. With a click, the door unlocked and he quickly opened it and pushed me through. Once in, my jaw dropped.

We were standing in a garage with seven motorcycles, each unique, and all beautiful. I saw Harleys, a Beemer, a Yamaha, and two custom choppers. Spots for another three bikes stood empty.

"Are these all yours?"

"No, only two," he said, moving swiftly toward a Harley at the end of the row.

I looked around and didn't see the bike I'd seen him riding before. "You have three bikes?"

"Yes." He dropped the duffel on the ground next to a gorgeous black Harley and unzipped it.

"Is this a Road King? What year?"

"2006."

"Looks like it's been customized," I said, moving closer to take a better look.

He pulled out a black pair of pants and jacket, and then stood and faced me. "It has. I was a customer of Jake's, Iz," he said, quietly holding the clothing out to me.

I stood like a statue as I processed this new information. "You knew Jacob?" I managed to choke out.

"Not really. I met him once to discuss the work, but I mainly worked with his manager."

My eyes suddenly welled as I took in this information. "But-"

"Hey," he said, his face twisting in a grimace, "we don't have time. Put these on." He shoved the clothing at me again. "We gotta leave."

I looked down at the items in his arms, nodded, and took them from him. I dropped the jacket on the ground and started pulling on the over pants. "Where did you get these? They're women's riding clothes."

He went over to a bin behind his bike, unlocked it, and pulled out some more clothes. "They're Carmen's," he said, pulling on his own riding pants. "She's a little heavier than you, but it'll protect you. And give your bony little butt some extra padding."

_Ah, sore ass. Got it._ Then I registered what he said. "Hey, my butt isn't bony!" I said, bending over to grab the jacket off the floor.

"Hmmm."

I stood up and caught him looking at my rear. His eyes met mine, and then he pursed his lips with amusement and leaned to the side to make a show of checking it out. "No, rather perfect, actually."

I unzipped my hoodie and removed it, and then threw on the jacket and zipped up. "Stop that."

"Stop what?" he asked, removing his jacket and pulling on the protective riding gear.

"Don't think I haven't noticed that you resort to flirting whenever you want to distract me or change the subject. You owe me some answers. Bigtime."

_Tony, let me in, I wanna be your friend…_

He walked to the duffel, grabbed a helmet and quickly moved to stand in front of me. "I know I do, but not now. We have to go."

_We've gotta get out while we're young…_

He reached out and put the helmet on my head, tucking my ponytail underneath so that it wasn't showing and then adjusting the strap under my chin to secure it. His hand lingered for a moment and then he moved away quickly. He grabbed my hoodie and his jacket, as well as my backpack, and reached into the duffel to pull out a paper sack and put the stuff in the saddle bags. Then he put on his helmet and gloves, climbed on the bike, and started it, riding forward until he was positioned in front of the door. "Can you push that button over there?" he called, pointing at a panel near the door.

I ran and pressed the button he indicated and the garage door slowly began to open. He then gestured with his head for me to get on.

I took a big breath and climbed on behind him. I reached out tentatively to hold onto him and he grabbed my hands and pulled so the front of my body was flush against the back of his. He turned to look at me. "Come on, Izzy, strap your hands across my engines." When I let out a little gasp, he winked. "I told you we were going to get very close."

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "Okay, Boss."

He smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Do you know why he's called The Boss?"

I nodded. "Do you know who took the picture of HIS ass for the Born in the USA cover?" I asked, pulling my hand loose so I could flip down the helmet visor.

He grinned. "I've missed our chats, darlin'. Okay, hold on tight." I flipped my visor down, then reached around and pulled myself close. He faced forward, flipped down his own visor, revved the engine, and we took off.

~#~

Two hours later, we were somewhere down Highway 5. I still had no idea where we were going and was hanging on for dear life to one of the most confusing guys I'd ever known. While I'd been teetering between exhaustion and exhilaration, exhaustion – combined with the heat bearing down on us – was starting to win. When he pulled over to a small gas station to get us some drinks, he noticed my sluggishness and frowned.

"You look like you could use a rest."

"I guess that depends on how much longer we have 'til we get there. We are we going?"

He looked around, as if he was trying to get his bearings. "Vegas."

"Vegas! That's… that's gotta be…" In a less tired state, I might have been able to figure it out. But truthfully, my mind was just too tired and I couldn't even begin to compute the distance.

He finished my thought. "Another six-to-seven hours away at least, and you'll never make it." He looked down at the helmet in his hands and finished cleaning the bugs and crap off his visor. "To tell you the truth, I could use a rest too. I didn't get much sleep last night either and it might be a good idea to get off the road for a while if they're out there looking for you… us." He looked at me. "I know somewhere we can stop for a while. Do you think you can last another half-hour or so?"

I took a deep breath. "Yeah," I said, and started to put my helmet back on.

"Wait," he said, looking me up and down and squinting. "Hmm, got another hair band?"

I didn't understand, but went to the saddlebag and pulled one from my knapsack. He came over and reached around my head. He paused, looking down at me, and said, "We need to do something about this before we get to the next place." He took my hair out of my pony tail and combed his fingers through it. Gently pushing my head so I was looking down, I felt his fingers almost massaging my scalp as he quickly parted my hair in the back. Then he tied one side right under my ear with the band he'd removed. He put his hand out for the other band and repeated his actions. Before I knew it, I was wearing two low pigtails. When he let go, I touched them and looked up at him in bewilderment.

"We need you to look a little less 'sophisticated,' and this actually makes you look a little more… 'loose,' which is perfect for where we're going."

_I need to look loose?_ I was wearing dusty riding gear. I'd have to show some cleavage for the full "biker-babe" effect, but I was sure no one would think I was going to church. I shrugged. Hell, I'd wear my hair in a Princess Leia Cinnabon hairdo if that got me somewhere to rest sooner. We put our helmets back on, got on the bike, and rode off.

About twenty-five minutes later, we pulled off the highway and made our way to a small motel called "Joe's Resort." We dismounted and I looked around. I snorted. Resort? The place was a dump and looked like the motel in Psycho. I was musing as to whether we'd find Norman Bates at the front desk, when he spoke.

"Were you expecting the 'Four Seasons,' Iz?"

I turned to look at him. "This place looks like it rents rooms by the hour."

"It practically does," he said, looking down at his hands as he removed his gloves. He took off his helmet, and then looked up at me and shook his head. "Don't ask."

_This is bullshit._ I'd had it and I snapped. "There's a freakin' surprise. Another thing I can't ask about," I said sarcastically, in a loud whisper.

"Fuck," he hissed, looking down and shaking his head. "Don't with me start now or-"

I was tired, so my sassy, brazen side started coming out. I took off my helmet and stomped closer to him. "Or what? You'll spank me, Boss? No need, I already have the sore ass, as promised."

He looked surprised for a second and then stepped even closer. Our bodies were inches away from one another. He put on a fake smile. "OR," he said, speaking quietly between his gritted teeth, "we'll draw attention that we don't want." He leaned in so that his mouth was near my ear. "Now, do us a favor and put that ring you're wearing on the other hand and turn it so the diamond faces in. And go along with whatever I do or say, you got it, sweetheart?"

"Got it," I said through my own fake smile, as I did what he asked.

He grabbed my hand, walked up to the open motel door and stepped in. He pulled me to stand close to him and then hit a bell to call for a clerk who was nowhere in sight. We heard rustling behind a door and then young guy with big glasses came out to the reception desk eating a sandwich. Suddenly, I remembered I was hungry as I stared at his lunch.

"Can I help you?" the guy asked.

"We need a room, please," Tony answered.

The guy put his plate down on the counter and dropped the sandwich on it. I continued to stare and wondered if I could steal it without him noticing.

"Sure, one bed or two?"

The next thing I knew, Tony had his arm around my waist, pulling me flush up against him. He pressed his lips to my forehead and looked back at the clerk. "What do you think?"

The clerk grinned and pulled out a piece of paper for us to complete. "Name, address-"

"Dude," Tony said flatly, "we come here so that we can forget our names and our spouses. How much?"

"Forty-five dollars for the night for one bed."

I pulled out two twenties and a ten from my pocket and handed it to him. He handed me the change and the key and pointed us in the direction of the room, as well as the location of the vending and ice machines. We thanked him and headed back to the bike. Tony got on and drove closer to our room while I walked there. He was dismounting as I neared the room. I was just passing our door to continue on to the vending machine when he hurried over and spun me around, pressing me against the door.

His face was inches from mine. "Where are you going?" he whispered.

While we'd practically been joined at the hip for the past several hours, having him this close and face-to-face was a bit unnerving. "T- To get some snacks," I stammered. "I'm hungry."

He leaned down and nuzzled my neck with his nose. "The clerk is watching. People don't come here to eat snacks, Izzy; they come here to sleep and screw and that's what he thinks we're here for." He put the key in the lock next to my hip and turned the knob. "So get the fuck inside."

My face felt hot as I flushed and stumbled backward into our dingy room. He went to get our things from the bike and then joined me a few seconds later.

He tossed the stuff on the bed and huffed, taking a step toward me. "Snacks? Are you fucking kidding me?"

I took a step back and put my hands on my hips. "Excuse me if I don't know the protocol for when a person comes to a dive motel to have an affair. Clearly I'm not an expert at this like you are."

He took another step toward me and then stopped. He removed his jacket, tossed it on the bed and then sat down on a chair near the dresser. He looked down at his hands. "Fuck."

And that too was unnerving. I decided to call him on it. "You say the EF word a lot. I didn't know you had such a dirty mouth."

His head snapped up and his angry eyes stared into mine. "Oh, does it _offend _your delicate sensibilities, Princess?"

I threw my hands up. "Give me a break! I'm just pointing out that during all these months of talking with you, you never spoke like this."

His tense posture relaxed at the mention of our chats. "I _was_ on the air," he said quietly. "They don't take kindly to swearing, you know."

"You weren't always on the air, Tony," I pointed out. "Not when we had our conversations."

"I talk to strangers publicly for a living. I'm great at turning it on and off when I need to."

I shook my head. "Hot and cold. On and off. Friend or stranger. How can I tell for sure which version of you is the real Tony Masen?"

His eyes widened and for a quick moment he looked like he was going to say something. Then he stood up and went over to the bed. "You can't. You'll just have to trust your gut." He grabbed the paper sack and tossed it at me. I scrambled to catch it, opening it and looking inside.

I gasped loudly and looked up at him, a big smile spreading across my face. "Fried chicken? Where-?"

His eyes softened as he smiled back at me. "Carmen and El were going to a picnic with their kids today. She packed up some food for us." He moved over to the duffel and grabbed some clothes and a small leather bag as I ripped open the Ziplock, grabbed a leg and took a big bite. "I'm gonna shower first, if you don't mind. Don't eat all the chicken," he teased.

"I ty nt to," I mumbled happily around the chicken. He chuckled and then closed the bathroom door.

I'd eaten two pieces of chicken, some bread, and one of the apples I'd grabbed from Tony's house when he stepped out of the bathroom, only wearing jeans. _Holy shit._ The entire time I'd spent with him, I hadn't noticed how nice his body was. I mean, I could tell he was lean and muscular, but well, he was… _fit_. And his butt in those jeans? Well, Springsteen's ass had nothing on his.

As I watched him combing his hair, his biceps flexing with each movement, I caught a glimpse of a tattoo on his upper left bicep. From my position, I couldn't tell what it was so I leaned a little to the left to see if I could get a better view. My movement must have given me away because he chuckled and said, "Izzy, are you checking out my ass?"

My eyes shifted to see him looking at me in the mirror. I flushed instantly and sat back in my chair. Looking away, I said, "No. I already checked that out."

He laughed and turned around to face me. "Oh, really?"

I stood and grabbed my clothes. Then I walked over to him. "Fair is fair," I said with a shrug. I stopped two feet away and pointed at his arm. "Actually, I was trying to see your tattoo."

He pursed his lips and then slowly turned to so his left arm was directly in front of me. I stepped in closer to get a better look. The only tattoos I'd really seen in detail were Quil's, and his were very elaborate. Tony's was actually very basic… just three words: _Never Look _B_ack_. The "B" was the only thing that was different: it was in block lettering while the rest of the text was in a pretty cursive.

"Never look back," I murmured.

"Yes."

"Simple."

"I'm a simple guy," he said, facing me.

"Yeah, right," I said, stepping back and doing my best to look unfazed by his bare chest which was now right in front of my face. I gestured at the tattoo. "It's kind of ironic that a DJ who spends his time in the seventies has a tat like that."

He chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "It is, isn't it?" He pulled on a white t-shirt and then looked around me. "Did you save me any food?"

I nodded. "Plenty left. My turn," I said, stepping into the bathroom and locking the door behind me.

Fifteen minutes later, I was clean and felt a little more relaxed. I dressed and stepped out of the bathroom wearing the sleep clothes he'd lent me, and found him sprawled on one side of the bed face-down.

_Oh, yeah, one bed. Yikes._ "Um, can I use your comb?" I asked.

"Sure." He rolled over to look at me. "Oh," he said, sitting up and shifting back to lean against the headboard.

"What?"

"You're wearing my stuff."

I looked down. "I liked it. It's nice and soft. Very worn-in."

"That was one of my favorite shirts."

I frowned. "Oh, I shouldn't have taken-"

He cut me off. "No, worries, Iz. I like you in it."

_He likes me in it? Okaay. This is so weird._ I turned back to comb my wet hair and mentally processed through the sleeping situation. _Is that bed big enough? Should I sleep on the floor? Is there a spare blanket?_

"You look like you're trying to solve a calculus equation, sweetheart," he said, breaking me out of my ruminations. I saw him staring at me in the mirror. "What's going on in your big brain?"

_Gulp._ I put the comb down, turned and took a step forward. "I'm trying to figure out if I'm tired enough to just conk out on the floor."

"Why?" he asked, looking around him. "There's plenty of room here."

"Well, I- I just-"

"Oh, Iz, don't be silly." He patted the empty side of the bed. "I'll be a good boy."

"Sure, when you're awake," I muttered. _But what if you have some weird erotic dream and I wake up with you grinding yourself against me and your hands groping my breasts? Yeesh._

He burst out laughing. "Those aren't pillows!" he exclaimed and shook his head. "You watch too many movies."

I gasped and covered my mouth. _Holy shit, I said that out loud!_ With a groan, I moved over to the bed and sat down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. I'm tired and my brain is fried."

He chuckled. "Sometimes I wish I could read your mind. Your inner monologue must really be something to hear." He put up three fingers on his right hand and said, "Okay, no grinding or groping. I'll keep my hands to myself. Scout's honor."

I crawled under the covers and lay on my side, facing him. "Were you ever a Scout?"

He got off the bed so that he could get under the covers too. Climbing back in, he lay on his side facing me. "Yes, actually."

A Scout? I found that sweet… and odd, given the swearing, biker-guy who seemed to frequent seedy motels lying next to me. "Tell me more," I said.

"Like what?"

"Anything." I bit the bullet and went for a personal question. "You were married?"

His face became serious. "Yes. She died," he said, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too," he said, with a hint of bitterness.

It was silent for a moment. Then I decided it was only fair if I shared too. "I was married," I said, quietly. His eyes popped open. "Divorced as of last September."

He looked a little puzzled. "Really? You're only twenty-six…so young."

I frowned, trying to remember when I'd told him my age. Had I? _How does he know this stuff? My age? Where I was this morning?_

I decided to ask, since he seemed to be a little more forthcoming. "Will you tell me how you found me today?"

His eyes were wary as he processed my question, as if he was trying to decide what to say. "Please," I begged, "just tell me."

He took a big breath and sighed. "I got the addresses from your treasure hunt applications," he admitted. "I knew where both of you lived. This morning, I drove by your apartment and saw that black SUV waiting outside. I realized that you probably went elsewhere and then decided to give his house a try."

"Our applications? But we handed those in…" I began.

"…the day of the attack in the garage," he finished. "Yeah."

I was confused. "But why did you look? You acted like you hated me."

"Hate?" He scoffed and then shrugged. "I was understandably curious about you, despite all appearances to the contrary."

_He was curious about me._ I smiled and relaxed a little more. I could feel myself getting sleepy. "Will you tell me more about yourself?" I asked.

"More?" he chuckled. "You're about to conk out."

"I like to fall asleep to the sound of your voice," I said, my eyelids getting heavier. "It's been a while since I've done that."

"Really?" he asked with a smile in his tone. "Well," he said softly, "you'll learn more about me on this trip for sure. Hmmm. Okay, uh, I play the piano, and I went to school…"

I slept peacefully for a while. Tonight, there were no nightmares. In fact, for the first time in the past month, I dreamt a nice dream about Tony.

"_No matter what happens, you know the real me, Izzy,"_ dream Tony whispered, as he reached for my hand.

In the dream, we were lying on a blanket in a meadow full of flowers. Tony's head was on a pillow, which was odd, and his body was facing mine. His eyes were closed… and he was holding my hand.

My lids were heavy as I looked at my hand in his. Then his eyes slowly opened and looked into mine.

_This is a nice dream,_ I thought as I drifted into a deeper sleep.

~#~

Tony had set the alarm so that we were up by ten p.m. I felt worlds better getting all that rest and yet I felt like I could sleep for another three days. We got some sodas from the vending machine, packed up, and quietly dressed to leave. I ran to the front office to drop the key in the slot and then made my way back to Tony, who was sitting on the bike waiting for me.

"Won't this look weird that we're leaving now?"

He scoffed. "Not at all. They're used to people leaving at all hours to get home to their families." He put on his gloves, and flipped the night visor down on his helmet. I put on my helmet and climbed on behind him, and he once again grabbed my hands and pulled me flush against him. Unlike the first time, I was more at ease, so I hugged him tightly and readied myself for the long haul ahead.

'_Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run._

We drove through the night, making good time as we traveled south toward Vegas. We had to be careful in a few spots as traffic slowed through the nighttime highway construction we encountered along various points en-route. We also stopped twice along the way just to give our bodies a break and have some sodas and a few of the cookies I'd swiped from Jake's house.

It was around seven a.m. when we pulled off the highway and made our way to a rather isolated set of houses in a neighborhood just outside of Vegas. Tony stopped the bike and we dismounted, pulling off our helmets. I looked around and squinted as I took in our surroundings. Somewhere, a dog barked.

I was surprised by the look of worry on his face. "Who lives here?" I asked.

"Some old friends of mine. They kind of lay low so I thought this might be the best place for us to hide out." He stepped closer to me. "Iz, you're about to-"

Suddenly there was a loud bang as the door to the house slammed open and I jumped. I heard the distinct sound of a shotgun being cocked. "Who are you and what the hell do you want?" an angry voice snarled.

_Friends?_ I looked at Tony, my eyes popping out of my head. Tony looked down at me and bit his lip. Then he raised his hands slowly and turned around to face a very big guy on the porch.

"Hi, Emmett," Tony said.

The guy lowered his gun and looked back at Tony in surprise. "Doc? What are you doing here?"

At that moment, a little girl came running out of the house and stood by the large man. "Uncle Eddie! Mommy," she called, "Uncle Eddie is here!"

_Doc? Uncle Eddie?_ _What's going on?_

Tony turned back to face me, the worried look still on his face. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them again, stepped closer and extended his hand toward me.

"Hi, I'm Edward Cullen."

A ton of questions went flying through my head and my emotions shifted quickly as I went from confusion, to anger. I stared at his hand waiting for mine.

_Holy shit, I don't know this guy at all!_

I looked back up into his nervous green eyes and then I was suddenly calm as I remembered his voice and eyes in my dream. _"No matter what happens, you know the real me, Izzy."_

I put my hand in his and it felt just like my dream. I suddenly realized that it was real; he had indeed been holding my hand last night.

"You just have to trust your gut," he'd said. I squeezed his hand and couldn't fight the smile that suddenly spread across my face.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Bella Swan."

I watched as his face softened in relief. "Bella…" he whispered, nodding at me.

_Huh. His name is Edward Cullen. _

"You know," I said, still grinning like a nut, "you look like an Edward."

* * *

**A/N: Oh boy, Edward, Bella, Emmett. Who's next? **

**Thank you to my VERY busy beta, Irritable Grizzzly. **

**The Tony/Edward outtake from Ch 9-Fleetwood Mac will by my next update; Santana is the featured group. If you haven't already, put me on author alert so you'll be notified since the T/E outtakes will be posted separately. Yes, there will be at least one other.  
**

**Please review.**

_Post A/N: __Not mine – lyrics from Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run and lines from the movies Jaws and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. _

_Answer to Tony's and Izzy's questions:_

_Legend has it that Springsteen's nickname "The Boss," comes from his early days of playing gigs and collecting the money to then divvy up among the band members. The band mates started calling him Boss. He hated it, but the name stuck and he's gotten used to it over time. You'd hope so: he's been dealing with the name for about 40 years. The man is 60. _

_Yeah, 60._

_The beautiful cover of the Born in the U.S.A. album (the 80's album with The Boss's blue-jeaned butt on the cover), was shot by the fabulous Annie Liebovitz. (If you ever get a chance to see her works in an art exhibit, go. Her celebrity photographs are amazing.)_

_Also, a reader provided an alternative view on the Styx history posted in the last chapter. While I was giving you the info on the current members who were with the band when it changed its name to Styx in 1970, I have modified the answer to reflect those who started the band in 1961… so the answer is: ZERO. This is probably the answer Tony would have been looking for… heh. Thank you to Cobezack3 for the info!_


	13. Journey

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Journey: Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'**

**#  
**

We stood there gazing at each other, our hands still clasped in our handshake. He took a small step toward me, obviously surprised by my calm and grounded reaction.

"I look like an Edward, huh?" he asked, beaming at me.

He truly did. The name fit the second I heard it. It was shocking how quickly I was able to compartmentalize it all: DJ Tony Masen suddenly became his radio persona and Edward Cullen the real man I'd befriended during our nighttime conversations.

"Well you definitely are Bella, darlin'."

Now we were both grinning like idiots, staring at each other as if no one else was around. Of course, that wasn't exactly true.

"Hellooo?"

The big guy was standing beside us, his Hulk-like muscular arms folded across his chest. He took in our clasped hands and then darted his eyes back and forth between us.

"So, yeah, do you two know each other?" he teased, pointing a wiggling finger. Then he lightly hit Edward on the shoulder. "Dude, I know we haven't seen each other for a while, but do you really need a refresher on the basics? You kiss the _girl_," he said, gesturing to me, "and shake the guy's hand," he finished, pointing at himself.

_Kiss the girl?_ That knocked us back into reality. We dropped hands immediately and took a step away from each other. I instantly flushed and looked down. I could feel Edward's stare, but I couldn't look up at him. I finally got the nerve when he turned and extended his hand out to the bear next to us.

"Good to see you, Em," he said, as they shook hands. The guy stepped in closer and quickly moved in for a manly hug.

After they released each other, Edward turned and gestured to me. "Emmett, this is Bella. Bella, meet my friend, Emmett McCarty."

Emmett was ginormous. While he was just a little taller than Edward, he seemed to be twice the width. His arms were ripped with muscles, and I could see the bottom of a tattoo at the edge of his t-shirt on his left bicep, in the same position as Edward's. Normally, his size would scare the crap out of me, but his dark, curly hair, twinkling brown eyes, and huge dimples gave him a boyish look. I was instantly at ease.

Emmett extended his hand. "Nice to meet ya, Bella. I'd love to say Edward has told me all about you, but I can't. I haven't seen this guy in a while."

I laughed as I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you too." I peered around him and looked at the little girl still standing on the porch. "Is that your daughter?"

"Yep," he said, turning to look at her, "that's our angel. Hallie, baby, come say hi to Uncle Eddie."

Hallie squealed and started to run off the porch. Suddenly someone called from inside the house, "Hallie Elaine McCarty, you put some shoes on before you run out there. I don't want you cutting your foot again." Hallie groaned and stomped back up the porch. The door opened and a blond woman in shorts and a t-shirt stepped out holding footwear. "Okay, baby, which ones do you wanna wear? Sandals or sneakers?"

She instantly grabbed for the sneakers. "I can run faster with these on!" She plopped herself down on the porch and slipped them on. Then she stood up and tore off the porch. Nearly instantly she was upon us and had launched herself at Edward, who scooped her up into his arms. He hugged her tightly.

"How's my best girl?" he asked, pulling away to look at her.

Hallie pushed her light brown hair away from her face as she grinned at him. "Good! I had my birthday party last week with three friends and we went to Chuck E. Cheese's!"

"You did? How old are you now?"

"Five," she said proudly, splaying her fingers in front of his face.

Edward put an exaggerated look of surprise his face. "Are you five already?"

Hallie giggled. "Yep." She turned and looked at me with her big blue eyes. "Hello, are you Uncle Eddie's girlfriend?"

_Girlfriend… wha?_ "Oh, I-, um…" I stammered. I looked from her angelic face to Edward's; he was fighting back a smile.

The blonde woman had made her way to us. "Baby, you know you should find out someone's name before you start asking personal questions. Let me give Uncle Edward a hug and then we can meet his friend."

I nearly gasped as I got a close-up view of the woman. She was gorgeous, probably 5'9" at least, and had a beautiful curvy, yet trim body. Her blue eyes were enhanced by the tight blue t-shirt wore. I swear she could have been a supermodel.

Edward handed Hallie off to Emmett as the blonde stepped in to give him a tight hug. "If it isn't my second-favorite hero. Hey, Edward," she said, softly.

"Rosalie, sweetheart, how're you doing?"

She released him and stepped back. "We're okay, thanks," she said, putting her arm around Emmett's waist, looking up at him, then at me, and then back at Edward.

Emmett piped up and said, "Rosie, Hallie, this is Bella, Edward's… uh…" He looked at Edward expectantly.

Edward finished the sentence for him. "Friend," he said.

Emmett cocked an eyebrow, once again looking at the two of us. "Friend, huh? Okay."

Edward gave him a pointed look and cleared his throat. "So, how's the business going?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Doing well. There are some rich people in this town and they love their cars," Rosalie said happily.

"You work with cars?" I asked.

"Classic car restoration," Emmett responded. "We're so busy, we're looking to add another person."

A chill ran through me when I realized they were running a garage. I instantly thought of Jacob and Nessie and turned to look at Edward. He nodded and hesitated for a moment before reaching out to touch my face in consolation, but before he made contact, we heard someone yell, "Edward Cullen!"

A blonde woman came running out of a smaller house that was around fifty yards away.

Emmett chuckled. "Oh, boy. Watch out, Edward."

She had crossed the distance in no time and within seconds I witnessed the attractive blonde launching herself at Edward as Hallie had done moments before, straddling him.

I tried to keep the shock off my face when she planted a big kiss on his lips. The only thing saving me from the weird discomfort was that Edward seemed almost as surprised as I was.

Emmett chuckled again and I glanced up to find him looking at me with an amused smirk on his face. "Friend," he said, gesturing with his eyes at the woman currently wrapped around Edward.

_Yeah, she looks very friendly._

"Kate," Edward said, pulling his head back and looking toward her house, "Uh, where's-"

"Cullen, get your hands off my woman!"

She laughed and jumped off Edward, who backed up a few steps and held his hands up.

A man wearing a black tee, ripped jeans and hiking boots was ambling toward us, a yellow Lab by his side. His dirty-blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail. "I may not be as big as McCarty, here, but you know I can still kick your ass."

"Hey, man," Edward said, shaking his head, "she jumped me."

Kate turned and looked at the ponytailed man. "Oh, Garrett, would I do that? I was just giving him a hug."

"Hugs usually only involve arms, Kate." Garrett said, looking at her with a sly smile. "Doc, good to see you." He stepped forward and gave Edward a brotherly hug.

"Nice to see you too, Hawkeye."

As they embraced, Garrett's sleeve rode up and I noticed some markings on his left bicep. It appeared this guy had a tattoo as well. Maybe they all went to school together? Or the military? It was amazing that after talking to him all those months, I really knew almost nothing about the guy I'd just spend the last twenty-four hours with.

Garrett stepped back and then reached around to tug on Edward's ponytail. "Oh, man, what's with the hair? Are you trying to look like me now?"

Kate sidled back over to Edward, put her arm around his waist and looked up at him with a grin. "Maybe he's trying to win me back, darlin'."

My unease grew as I watched Edward interact with his friend. _Friend. Sure._

Garrett squinted and his face twisted into a mask of mock jealousy. "That time is long gone, baby." He grabbed her hand, gently pulling her away from Edward and enveloping her in an embrace, as he kissed her forehead. "Stop trying to shock me, Kate," he said, and they both laughed.

Finally they took notice of me. "Oh, hey there," Garrett said. "We've been awfully rude. Garrett Winthrop. This is my wife, Kate."

_Oh, __wife__!_ The pit in my stomach quickly dissipated as I shook their hands.

Garrett looked us up and down, and then at the bike. "It's kind of early for a ride. Where'd you come from?"

"It's kind of a long story," Edward said.

"Well, let's go inside and you can fill us in. I have a 'wifesaver' egg dish in the oven," Kate said with a grin. "Rose, Em, have you eaten yet? Come on over," she said as she gestured to her house.

Rosalie nodded. "I've got some fruit salad and fresh-squeezed juice inside. I'll bring them over. Hallie, baby, come help mommy."

"I want to visit with Uncle Eddie and Aunt Bella."

Uncle Eddie and Aunt Bella? My eyes bulged and I looked at Edward. He winked at me and I flushed again. _Damn freakin' blushing!_

"Sweetie, it will only take a few minutes. Plus I want to comb that little bird's nest on your head. Let's hurry so we can get back quickly."

Kate was already walking toward her house. "Come on you guys. Irina just put a pot of coffee on. It oughtta be ready by now." She clapped to get the dog's attention. "Riley, come!" The dog instantly turned and trotted off after them.

Edward froze. "Irina's here too?"

"Yeah, she arrived on Friday for the long weekend," Garrett said, his eyes mischievously darting between me and Edward.

Emmett let out a booming laugh. "Oh, Doc, you're in trouble now."

"Emmett…" he hissed.

They all seemed to be enjoying a private joke. Rose raised her eyebrows in a pointed look at Edward and then continued walking back to her house with her daughter in tow.

Edward ran his hands over his face and then shook his head. He sighed. "Let's go." We followed Kate and Garrett up the path.

"So," I said quietly, "anything more to tell me, Doc?"

He grimaced. "Just the tip of the iceberg, sweetheart," he muttered, walking next to me. He looked up at the sky and then straight ahead. "Once upon a time, I was a doctor."

For a second, I was relieved; I was afraid it was some gross nickname he got in a fraternity for playing 'doctor' with random women. Then I started processing quickly. _Was__ a doctor._ How old was he? I thought he was about ten years older than I was, but if that was the case, he couldn't have been one for long. How did he go from doctor to DJ? What would make a person stop being a doctor? Did he kill someone accidentally?

Apparently, my mental churning was evident on my face. We were about ten feet from the house when he stopped walking and reached for my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, his eyes wary once again.

I blinked and shrugged. "I don't even know where to begin. I have so many questions."

"I know, darlin'. I'm sorry that-"

"Hello, Eddie," a woman said in the most seductive voice possible.

Our heads snapped up to the front porch where yet another leggy blonde was poised, one hand on her rather scantily-clad hip. She was wearing a pair of really short shorts – I mean, so short they were practically a belt - and a very tight pink tank top. Honestly, the outfit left nothing to the imagination.

_Where am I, Sweden? All these blondes! One of these things is definitely not like the others._

"Hi Irina," Edward said. "How are-"

One minute she was standing on the porch, and the next she was wrapped around him like a blanket, her mouth plastered to his.

I gaped at them and my heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest as I watched the lip-locked pair next to me.

I heard Emmett chuckle and I turned to see him slowly making his way up the path behind us. I could feel the flush coming over me as I stared back in embarrassment.

_You make me weep, I wanna die…_

"Friends," he mouthed.

I was getting damn tired of that word. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the desire to kick this woman's ass. I didn't like seeing her wrapped around my Edward.

I was instantly shocked at that bizarre possessive thought. _My__ Edward? What the hell?_

I glanced back at the pair next to me and the kiss that seemed to last for years…

_'Cuz he's lovin', ooh he's touchin', he's squeezin', another…_

I couldn't watch anymore. Somehow, I managed to close my mouth and find my wits. I moved past them and up the porch to the open door where Kate was standing. "Um, may I please use your restroom?"

"Bella?" I heard Edward call from behind me. I didn't turn to look, but rather kept my focus on Kate.

"Sure, it's just down the hall and to the left," she said, gesturing.

As made my way in, I heard the wench giggling.

"Oh, looks like I may have upset your young little plaything, Eddie."

"Irina, you know he hates being called Eddie," Kate said in a disapproving tone.

I heard their footsteps coming up the porch. "Hallie calls him Eddie."

"Hallie is five, Irina," Edward grumbled. "And Bella's not my plaything: she's my friend."

I made it to the bathroom and shut the door quickly. Then I moved to the sink and placed both hands on the counter to steady myself, taking deep breaths.

_We're just friends. Just friends. There's no reason for this…?_

Jealousy? That was ridiculous. I had no claim on him.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a big house and I could still hear her voice through the door.

"Aren't WE friends, Eddie?"

"Leave him alone, Irina," Garrett muttered. "Can't you see he likes this girl?"

"Jesus Christ! She's a friend," Edward hissed. "Nothing more."

_He's tearin' you apart… Oh, girl, what can you say?_

I was baffled by my feelings. _I can't be jealous. He's right. We're only friends._

"Sure, you keep tellin' yourself that, Doc," Emmett said, sarcastically.

My emotions once again swirled from confusion to anger, all aimed at myself. My feelings for him were getting muddled by the situation. _"…'cause you know, relationships that start under intense circumstances, they never last."_

Intense circumstances. Yeesh. Understatement of the century. I took another deep breath and struggled to keep the images of these women and their long legs wrapped around him out of my head… but in their place, I saw his face in front of me, pinning me against the door at the motel, nuzzling my neck.

_Shit! Get a grip Bella! He's given you no indication that he wants anything more than friendship._ _His flirting has been a diversionary tactic. _

Stupid, confusing friend.

_Come on. Don't be dumb. You know how things are. It's not like you haven't been friends with a guy before. You can do this. You're a strong woman._

As I stood there giving myself a pep talk, a different visual altogether floated around my brain. I was reminded of a conversation I wandered in on one day after school shortly after I went to live with Grams…

~#~

"_Sulpicia is a stronger woman than I would be, Helen."_

"_Why do say that?"_

"_Why do you think?"_

_I had just cut across Mr. Aro's front yard and was making my way to the back of our house when I heard Grams and her friend Chelsea talking on the back patio. I stopped and stood quietly, not wanting to interrupt._

_Grams' tone was flat. "Aro and I are only friends, Chelsea. There's nothing going on." _

"_Most women wouldn't stand for their husband having another woman so prominently in his life."_

"_Aro is devoted to Sulpicia, and I've never given her any reason to doubt my intentions toward him. He's been a great help taking care of Bella. She adores him… and Sulpicia treats her like gold."_

"_I guess… I wonder why they never had kids." _

_Grams dropped her voice and I strained to hear. "She wasn't able to have them, so Bella gets to be granddaughter to both families."_

_Chelsea snorted. "Isn't that convenient?" _

"_Quiet you…" Grandma hissed. "Just friends."_

_~#~_

_Right Grams. Just friends. Nothing going on,_ I thought, steeling myself. I quickly removed my riding gear and folded it. Then I splashed water on my face and dried it with a towel. There was nothing to be confused about.

Scooping up the clothes and putting them under my arm, I opened the door and found him leaning against the wall, waiting for me. He'd removed his riding gear too and was standing there in jeans and a white tee. Looking good.

_Shit._

"Hey," I managed, using all my fabulous conversational skills.

"Hey," he said in a soft voice, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't I be?" I asked calmly. _Wow, I'm a good actress._

His eyes narrowed as he stared at my face, trying to weigh my response. _Crap, maybe I'm not as good as I thought. Damn guy, reading my tells._

"I don't know about you, but this 'getting to know you' stage of our relationship suddenly seems compressed."

_Relationship? No Bella, don't read into that._ I sighed. "You're right. It's like I'm drinking from a fire hose." I paused. "They're nice, your… friends…"

He pushed himself off of the wall and took a step toward me. "That's _all_ they are, Bella," he said, clearly referring to the women. "Really. Once it was different, but not anymore. Come on, they're good people." He extended his hand to me silently. _Freakin' confusing man._ I put my hand in his and he led me into the kitchen.

Rosalie and Hallie had made it back and were setting the table as Garrett poured juice into glasses. Kate was cutting the egg dish into portions as Emmett grabbed a seat at the table. The dog sat patiently watching everyone from his position by the back door.

Irina was leaning against the counter, blowing steam from the mug of coffee in her hand. Her eyes drifted down to our clasped hands and then she put her mug on the counter. "Coffee?" she asked.

I nodded and let go of Edward. "Yes, please," I said, walking over to where the mugs lay on the counter. She poured and then I gestured for her to stop. "Thanks," I said, grabbing the milk and sugar and mixing them in.

"How long have you two been together?" Irina asked.

_What's it to you, wench? Jeez, Bella, cut it out!_ I tasted my concoction. "We're not together," I responded, not looking at her as I picked up my mug. "We're friends."

"We've been talking for about eight months," Edward said, "but only met for the first time a month ago." I turned and looked at him, surprised that he was telling them anything. His eyes met mine and he nodded. "We finally caught up again two days ago."

Well, that was one way of putting it. What he was saying was completely accurate, and yet very misleading. I shrugged and grabbed a seat at the table as he moved over to get some coffee for himself.

"So, online dating now, Edward?" Kate asked, with an amused tone. "You?"

"She's one of my listeners, Kate. We talked regularly."

"So you're still doing the DJ gig?" Rosalie asked, scooping out some fruit and putting it on the plates.

"Yep. Midnight to five a.m. shift," he said, grabbing the seat next to me.

"Maybe that explains the hair. What, now that no one sees you, you're trying to hide your chick-magnet self?" Emmett asked.

"I think he looks great," Kate said, as she put small squares on every plate.

"You would," Emmett said, pointing at Garrett. "Kate, sweetheart, what's with this little portion?" he asked, gesturing at his dish. "I'm a growing boy." She plopped another square on his plate.

"San Francisco!" Garrett exclaimed. "Man, I haven't been there in so long. Still look the same? Sun shining on the Golden Gate Bridge?"

"It's summer. We've got fog, but yeah, it's the same." Edward shrugged.

"Good seventies bands outta San Fran…" Emmett said, grabbing his fork.

"Definitely," Garrett said in agreement.

I looked at Edward and then back at them. "Are you guys seventies rock trivia nuts too?"

Emmett's eyes widened and he quickly chewed and swallowed his mouthful. "Too?" he asked, incredulously. "Little girl, I taught that guy everything he knows."

"_We_ taught him," Garrett corrected.

Well this was fun new information. "You did? Why that decade?"

Emmett gestured at himself. "Child of the seventies. I'm almost ten years older than this guy," he said, lightly slapping Edward on the shoulder. "It was my growing-up music." Garrett nodded once again.

My mouth dropped open. "Get out!" I looked at the two men in amazement. They didn't look like they were anywhere near their forties. Edward was watching the exchange in amusement. He took a swig of juice and suddenly got a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He licked his lips and then winked. _Oh, now what?_

"You know, Bella could kick your ass with the seventies trivia, Em."

Emmett dropped his fork and looked at me incredulously. "This young thang? No way…"

_Young thing? Oh no, he didn't!_ My eyes narrowed and I folded my arms across my chest. Peripherally I caught Edward's big grin.

"It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage. Try me."

Emmett looked at Edward, who merely nodded. Then he looked back at me. "Okay. This band was formed with former members of Santana. They have a popular song about their hometown that was originally written about a different place entirely. Name the band."

I unfolded my arms, reaching for my coffee. I took a big gulp and then rolled my eyes. "Puh-l-eeze," I said. "I thought you were going to test me. Journey. The song is Lights. They made it into a song about San Francisco, but Steve Perry actually wrote it about LA. Neal and Ross are the only original members still with the band."

Edward burst out laughing as Emmett gaped. Kate and Rosalie joined in as Garrett shook his head. "Damn, Edward, you could have easily taken him for some cash on that one. You know how he loves to bet." Garrett looked at me in admiration. "And, how do you know this? You're definitely not a child of the seventies."

All eyes were on me and I flushed. I hated the spotlight. Edward nudged me. I looked at him and couldn't help but match his big grin. Not looking away, I said, "My parents were children of the seventies too. My dad and mom used to play a similar game with the bands they loved."

Emmett and Garrett groaned. "Well, fu…" Garrett began. Rosalie cleared her throat, gesturing with her eyes at Hallie. "..dgesicle," he finished, not so subtly. "Are you telling me I'm almost old enough to be your dad?"

I flushed again and shrugged as the whole room burst into laughter.

We continued with some seventies trivia as we finished breakfast, with Kate, Rosalie, and even Irina attempting to play. It was nice to see Edward interact with the others. He was in his element and it was clear the guys had a true camaraderie and deep friendship.

We were still chuckling from another funny exchange between Edward and Garrett when we finally hit a lull in the conversation.

"So, how do you all know each other?" I finally asked.

The room instantly went silent as everyone froze. _Oh crap, this can't be good._

Finally Rosalie stood. "Baby girl," she said, pulling out Hallie's chair, "why don't you take Riley out to play before it gets too hot?"

Hallie jumped up excitedly. "Okay, mama."

She opened the door and they ran outside. Rosalie followed her. "Stay where I can see you, okay?"

Garrett put his hands on his head and looked up at the ceiling. Kate moved from where she'd been leaning against the fridge and put her hands on his shoulders, looking down at him, and smiling.

I felt like I'd pulled the pin from a grenade and was just waiting for the explosion. Obviously I'd asked a loaded question. What was up?

The silence was broken by Emmett's booming laugh. "Holy shit. Eight months of talking, huh? And in all that time you never discussed your past?"

"Never look back, Emmett," Garrett hissed.

Emmett ignored him. "Seriously." He wiggled his finger at us. "So, hey, do you two know each other?" he asked, repeating his question from this morning.

Rosalie came back in, slamming the door behind her.

"Jesus Christ, Edward, are you kidding? You haven't…?" she waved her hand at me.

Irina giggled and got up, coming over to Edward's other side where she leaned down, and put her arm around him. "Oh baby," she said, kissing his forehead. I felt another twinge of irrational jealousy. This was going south very fast.

They all started talking at once.

"You'd think it woulda come up, though."

"We don't exactly hang out, you know."

"Well, he's right. You don't just blurt this out on the phone. I mean, this is kinda like their second date."

"He has a right to his privacy."

"It all came out okay. It shouldn't matter."

"The past is done…"

"Maybe you two should be alone-"

The words were just flying across the table and it was like trying to keep up with a high-speed tennis match. Finally, I interrupted. "Just tell me!"

The room stilled. Edward broke from his frozen state and stood. His back was toward us as he looked out the window. Then he took a deep breath and turned back to me. I was shocked by the sadness in his eyes.

"We met at Folsom."

I thought quickly. What was the big deal? _Folsom? The town? Or the…OH! _I felt a chill run through me.

"Prison?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"You were a doctor there?" I asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "No, I was a prisoner, Bella. We all were," he said, gesturing to Emmett and Garrett.

Suddenly, I didn't see anyone else in the room. His green eyes were penetrating and I couldn't look away. "What were you in for?"

"Murder," he said somberly. "I killed my wife."

* * *

**A/N2: Ruh roh, that was unexpected (well, not by me).  
**

**Thank you to my wonderful beta Irritable Grizzzly.**

**Please review.**

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from Journey's Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' and lines from the movies Speed and Raiders of the Lost Ark. _

_Full disclosure: I'm more of an 80s Journey fan. However, two of my gals REALLY love them, so I used the band for them. Hugs to Irritable Grizzzly and MrsEdwardCullenP. _

_Regarding the Journey discussion:_

_- The original words to Lights were "__When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on LA…" _

_- Neal Schon was once a member of Santana. Ross Valory is the other band member still with the group today, although he appears to have left from '85-'95. _

_I have only one additional piece of USELESS trivia to add to Folsom crew's discussion:_ _they sing the word 'na' 154 times at the end of Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'. 22 'na's times 7 repeats.  
_

_Yes, I counted.  
_

_The Santana outtake from the Fleetwood Mac chapter is posted. A few purists pointed out that this was a 60's Zombies hit, which would have been part of the Tony question, if we'd had one. However, we didn't. And the fact remains that it was a Santana 70's song as well. _


	14. Aerosmith

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: Hello, new readers. There sure are a bunch of you. Um, where did you come from? I'm used to only a loyal handful reading my stories. Thank you to anyone mentioning this one. I'm thrilled (and a little scared). _

_Sooo, everything I know about prison, law and medicine comes from TV shows. I did a bit of research and consulted a friend with a law degree as well as a practicing surgeon (thx mortangel!). That said, lawyers and doctors out there, please cut me some slack… I work really long hours in neither field (which is why you're getting this update a few days early - too much work to do this weekend).  
_

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Aerosmith: Dream On**

**#  
**

_Prison._

_Murder._

_I killed my wife._

Time seemed to halt as the words floated out there, hovering near his mouth. All that was missing was the speech balloon surrounding it.

But this was no comic strip. And this sure as hell wasn't funny.

Emmett groaned. "Jesus, I hate when you say that, you emo-asshole. How many times…" His voice faded as a cloud enveloped my brain. I was caught like a deer in the headlights, staring at Edward, unable to look away. Emmett continued saying something and then the room exploded once again in a cacophony of voices. The noise finally shook me loose and I dropped my head and closed my eyes and ears to everything around me as I processed this newest information.

_I'm a danger magnet. No, I'm a FUCKING danger magnet. Yeah. That's right. Now is the time to use any bad words I know. _

_Fuck. My. Life._

It wasn't enough that I'd participated in this stupid NSAR-SF and unwittingly stepped into hell knows what. Step back a little further: I was mugged while applying for the damn thing!

Now came the best part. For months, in the privacy and safety of my own home, I'd been chatting and developing a…"relationship" of sorts…with someone, and it turns out he's an ex-con. I mentally scoffed, remembering one of my conversations with Jake about 'Tony'…

~#~

_"It's hard to have a relationship with someone you've never met, Jacob."_

_"Women do it all the time with prisoners," he said._

_"So now you're comparing my "hobby" to those of women infatuated with murderers? You're crazy!"_

_~#~_

Prisoners? Murderers? _What the hell? Is my number up or something? If I find out Tyler is with the Mafia, I'm gonna go postal. _

There might as well have been big-ass neon signs along the way flashing loud and clear not to do this race: "Danger! Danger Bella Swan! Danger!" And I fucking ignored them.

_No, Edward isn't dangerous. He was a Boy Scout for God's sake!_

But he'd just stated he killed his wife. I backtracked to Emmett's first comment, reaching out to recall all of what he'd actually said: "Jesus, I hate when you say that, you emo-asshole. How many times have we discussed this? You know it wasn't your fault."

"_You'll just have to trust your gut." _

My gut told me something was off. After all the times we'd talked, it just wasn't adding up. Could I have missed this? Was there anything-?

At that moment, a weird feeling hit me as another thought started to form. It was there, dancing on the edges, daring me to see it. _It doesn't add up…_

Snippets of conversations about Edward and his past ran through my head at light-speed: _"One Sunday, when I was around six years old, my mom and dad took us to the park… Anyway, Lennon was shot about four months later…" "…child of the seventies. I'm almost ten years older than this guy." "Once upon a time, I was a doctor." "It all came out okay. It shouldn't matter." _

_The past is gone. It went like dusk to dawn… _

The answer burst to the surface as I suddenly recalled one of his program segments from mid-April…

_~twtm~_

"_Okay Fogheads, in honor of a certain big-name marathon that went on today, our first question of the night is about the Bad Boys from Boston. They're the biggest-selling American rock band of all time, and they hold the record for the most gold and multi-platinum albums sold by an American group. They also have the distinguished honor of being the only band I've personally seen three times in concert. _

_I'm lobbing this one at you for our first pitch of the night. Tell me the band's name, the two movies they appeared in, and the epic cover they did in one of those movies. The first one to answer gets… the admiration of all the other callers you beat to the punch…"_

_~#~_

_No. It doesn't add up at all, does it Bella?_ I needed one small piece of information.

I opened my eyes and quickly looked up, only to see Irina, her arms wrapped around him once more, while he stood looking stiff and uncomfortable in her embrace, taking in their arguments. _This bitch is really pissing me off._

"Hold on," I said loudly. All conversation came to a screeching halt as six heads turned to look at me. My eyes were slits as I stared at Edward.

"How old are you?"

The expression on his face went from frozen, to surprised, to puzzled, in the span of two seconds. Irina smiled and looked up at him, her left hand patting his chest lightly. "Aw, she doesn't even know your age, Eddie." She wasn't fooling anyone. Her actions looked like she was trying to comfort him, but her words were aimed at me. _I know him so much better than you, little girl._ I saw red.

"Be quiet," I hissed, causing her to look at me.

That slapped the smile off of her face. She looked indignant and opened her mouth to say something.

"Irina," Kate said in a warning voice. Irina looked at her and Kate shook her head. Angrily, Irina shut her mouth.

I returned my stare back to Edward. "Answer me," I demanded, waiting to hear confirmation of what I already knew.

"I'm thirty-six."

_Bingo._

I nodded. "You're thirty-six." I stood up quickly, my movements and the scraping sound of my chair across the floor shocking everyone. "You, get your hands off of him," I said, pointing at Irina. "You," I continued, looking at Edward and thumbing over my shoulder, "outside. NOW." I whirled around and stormed out.

Emmett chuckled as I stomped through the living room and threw open the screen door. "Oh, _Eddie_, I REALLY like her. Go get 'er, Doc."

I was halfway down the path when I heard the screen door open and shut behind me. I stormed over to the bike and waited. When I heard the sound of his shoes on the gravel behind me, I started talking.

"My parents were murdered when I was thirteen. One of the killers involved is still in jail."

I whirled around to look at him. He was standing about five feet away, gaping at me, clearly shocked by this revelation.

"You didn't kill your wife. You're too young. Murder generally carries a long sentence, and even if you shaved a year or two off of your education, you still couldn't have done it."

I put my hands on my hips as I started walking at him.

"Aerosmith is the only band you've seen three times. You said you saw them in '93 and then again in '01, at the same venue – Shoreline Amphitheater – just days before 9/11. Then you saw them with a buddy in '07 when they did a short tour of the U.S."

He could only nod dumbly.

"You were in med school in '97 when you saw that Fleetwood Mac concert. Even if you never went through an internship and residency, there's no way you graduated from med school, killed your wife, sat through a trial, went to prison, served time for murder, got out and could be working as a DJ for the past two years, if everything you've said on the air and in our chats is truthful."

His eyes widened. "Yeah, I remember everything you ever told me about yourself, _'Tony,'_ so do me a favor and just tell me the truth! No smart-ass comments, no dodging." I stepped closer until I was a foot away and then I put both hands on his chest and pushed. He staggered back and I moved forward with him. "And so help me God, if you even dare to _think_ 'You can't handle the truth,' I'll knock you on your ass."

Clearly shocked, he took another step back and I realized I needed to calm down; my hands were clenched in fists at my sides and I probably had steam coming from my ears. I took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before exhaling slowly. "I'm sorry," I finally said in a gentler tone. "All of this has just been so..." I paused. "How did she die?"

His normally expressive voice was monotone. "She was murdered. Shot to death."

"But not by you."

"No."

"Then why…?" I trailed off, gesturing back at the Winthrop house.

He ran his hands over his hair in that weird trademark move of his. "I didn't pull the trigger, Bella, but it's my fault she's dead. I drove her away and into the arms of another man."

The pained expression on his face tugged at my heart and I gnawed at my bottom lip as I took him in. At this moment, he looked older than his thirty-six years, this admission causing creases at his eyes, and his shoulders to hunch.

I closed my eyes and took another deep breath as I looked up to the sky. The sun was shining brightly and I knew this was going to be a long conversation. There was no way we could do this standing in this heat.

I turned and went to the bike to get my backpack from the saddlebag. Throwing it over my shoulder, I looked at him and nodded toward the McCarty house. I wanted privacy and shade for this conversation. He nodded and we walked in silence until we found ourselves on their porch. There was a small bench near the edge of the house away from the door. I went and sat down, putting my backpack on my lap. Without looking at him, I patted the space next to me, asking him to join me.

He sat down, placed his arms on his thighs, clasped his hands, and looked at me. I was suddenly nervous about this conversation and rather than fidget, I reached into the front pocket of my bag looking for the comfort of my lip balm. I felt the highlighter, mini flashlight, flash drive, eraser, and tube of superglue before touching the familiar shape of the Blistex tube.

Taking it out, I applied it to my lips and then put it away. I finally looked at him; he was staring at my lips, but then his eyes shifted to meet mine instantly. I put the bag on the porch, then gripped the edge of bench and nodded, giving him the go-ahead. He took a deep breath, then turned and looked straight ahead as he spoke.

"My family moved around a lot when I was a kid. We lived in Chicago, New York, DC, and eventually San Francisco. Tanya was my girlfriend during my senior year at Lowell High School.

"She was pretty and smart. All the guys liked her; she was the all-American dream… tall, blonde - strawberry blonde actually- blue eyes. I was crazy about her…but my parents weren't. We had some money and they felt that she was more into it than me. Lowell is the best public high school in San Francisco; the city's top students – rich and poor – attended. The funny thing is they wanted me to go there rather than to a prep school so that I didn't get the "privileged" mindset that comes from having a little wealth. So I had a girl that wasn't part of the elite, and they looked at her like she was a gold-digger.

"We went our separate ways after high school. She got into UCLA and I moved out east and went to Brown, where my parents had gone. We tried to make it work for a little while, but it was too hard. We broke up that first year and didn't really stay in touch. Three years later, I got into UCSF for med school and returned back home.

"I was in my third year when I ran into her again at the bank, of all places. She was in a management trainee program. Her parents had since moved away, but she wanted to be back in San Francisco, so she'd returned when she graduated from college.

"She looked great, as always, and it was so nice to see her after all that time. We started dating again, much to my parents' dismay, but this time I didn't let their comments go. I fought with them and told them to butt out of my life. As a result of my decision, they decided my part of any future family wealth would be better spent elsewhere. It was horribly ugly. Within a few months, they were gone…and Tanya and I were married in a small civil ceremony at city hall the summer between my third and fourth year.

"Fourth year was a busy one; I was running around the country interviewing at different programs. Unlike many of my classmates who wanted to go into the more glamorous and lucrative fields like Orthopedics or Plastic Surgery, I was actually interested in exploring internal medicine. Some consider it a lesser discipline, but internists are kind of the 'doctor's doctor': they often get to act as consultant to other doctors to help solve odd diagnostic problems, and that appealed to me. I was fortunate. After all that running around, I got accepted to UCSF Medical Center's Internal Medicine Residency program, which was one of the best in the country."

I shifted and turned to face him, pulling my right leg up on the bench and hugging it, resting my chin on my knee. He looked at me again and gave me a small smile, shifting to face me as well. "Your first year as an intern is nuts. You barely sleep. You're practically a slave, but it was thrilling and I loved it. However, it started to take a toll on our relationship. I told her it would get better once it was over and we both did our best to give the other what they needed.

"Things improved a little during my second year of residency. I became somewhat friendly with a doctor I met during the first year. James was a good guy and we bonded on our similar backgrounds, interests and even alma maters. Schedules permitting, Tanya and I would go out with him and his girlfriend of the moment. Sometimes I'd just go after work to shoot some pool at his house and get his thoughts on some of my cases. Once or twice, I let him take me to the gun range; James couldn't shoot for shit – I was actually much better than he was – but he was into guns and liked to take his latest one out for a try. He was the one who convinced me to do one of my rotations in cardiology under him.

"Along the way, Tanya began to realize that my medical pursuits weren't particularly 'interesting.' I guess she thought I'd end up in a lucrative field, but it wasn't until we'd spent some time with James and she heard us discussing some of the specializations, that she realized my interests weren't going to immediately have us living James' lifestyle.

"I was a little surprised by her feelings on the matter: I thought she said she'd supported me, but she kept suggesting that it wasn't too late to change my specialty and wanted to talk about it. I promised I would, but I became so engrossed in various cases at work, I just didn't have time. The truth was, I didn't make the time. I didn't want to be forced to do something for money, and I was a little afraid my parents were right about her. I didn't want to know." He huffed and then shrugged. "As it turns out, Tanya not only liked the idea of James' lifestyle, she also liked James."

He suddenly stood and moved to the porch railing, looking out at the front lawn. "One night after a particularly frustrating day at work, I went over to James' house to talk about another in a series of odd cases we'd been researching. He was surprised to see me; imagine MY surprise when I heard Tanya's voice calling from upstairs, asking him when he was coming back to bed."

Edward slowly turned to face me and leaned against the railing. "I wish I could go back and redo what happened next. It was a huge mistake," he said bitterly. "I stormed in, shouting, asking how long this had been going on. James was trying to calm me down, but I felt so betrayed. I went to the game room to get a drink and they followed me, trying to explain. I was pouring my drink when Tanya told me she loved James.

"My head exploded and I threw my glass. It landed against the wall, just inches from them. I told them both what I thought of them, stormed out of the house, and took off on my bike. Not wanting to go home, I rode over to Marin and sat along the water in Sausalito for a while before coming back to the hospital. Somewhere along the way I grabbed a room to sleep. The next morning, I clocked in and started my shift.

"The rest was basically Murphy's Law in action. Shortly after I left, someone broke into his house and shot them both with James' gun. I was immediately the prime suspect. The fucking head cop investigating the case was relentless and so biased. It was like Inspector Javert was after me; he didn't look anywhere else. As the case began, I could see where this was going and I turned over whatever I had to Eleazar and Carmen, who were the only ones to stick by me during this time. Carmen had been a patient I'd saved when I noticed a drug she was using to lower her cholesterol was causing severe tissue damage and kidney problems; they were so thankful and sort of adopted me into their family. Anyway, in the end, Detective Voltorini had enough 'evidence' of my guilt, and it became an open and shut case."

I sat in rapt attention. "What did they have on you?" I asked incredulously.

"Witnesses who'd heard the yelling. My fingerprints all over his office, where we'd spent a lot of time discussing these Lipocol drug cases, as well as in the game room. My fingerprints on the smashed glass. Our shooting hobby, and how I was a much better shot than he was." He paused and shook his head. "And my fingerprints on the gun that he'd just bought the week before, which I'd held. Meanwhile, I couldn't find any of the people who'd seen me in Sausalito and/or hospital staff. Somehow the cameras missed me coming in. A year later, I'm in Folsom."

He looked down. "I'm not going to tell you about those first few months in prison, Bella. This whole story is ugly enough as it is. The only good part of it all – if you can even call it 'good'- is that I was in the courtyard one day when Emmett got shanked by another inmate. He was in on a seven-year sentence for attempted murder. Because of Em's size, he was generally left alone and acted as a protector of sorts for other inmates. After my medical training allowed me to save him from bleeding to death, he became my protector too… and a good friend. A year after I got in, Garrett joined us on a stint for grand theft auto.

_Isn't that the way? Everybody got their dues in life to pay._

"Emmett got out in '05 and instantly married Rose; she waited all that time for him. Then in early '07 some new evidence came to light that exonerated me. They found the camera footage of me at the hospital and driving by a light in Sausalito. Come April, I was out at last, having served four years, but it was too late. My old life was over," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

We were silent. It wasn't until I heard him speak again that I realized I'd gathered my left leg to join my right and had been hugging them both to my chest, staring at the floor. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

_So many things. Everything and nothing._ I looked at him. "Wow. Edward, that's a lot…" I uncurled myself and put my feet back down on the ground and sat up straighter as I collected my thoughts.

"I have two questions," I began.

"Okay."

"First, why didn't you go back into medicine? You were in the clear. Couldn't you start over?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I was so raw from what happened, I just couldn't. I didn't trust that the system would ever back me if I needed it again. The hospital didn't help during the trial; from the administration's perspective, a second-year resident killed one of their lead cardiologists. My whole life was destroyed on my path to good, so I just decided to walk away."

I nodded. "As someone who's also tried to escape my past, I can somewhat understand that." I paused. "I guess the bigger question is… why do you blame yourself for this? She cheated on you."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Ever since that night, I wondered how I could have changed the outcome. Maybe if I'd been willing to talk. I knew she needed more attention, but I just didn't give it to her. Maybe if I'd put her first before my career. Maybe-"

I stood up quickly and walked over to stand in front of him. "Maybe nothing. Your friends are right. You're not to blame. You've spent all these years beating yourself up over two things that were completely unrelated. People cheat: THIS I know. That's why I'm not married anymore."

Hesitantly I reached out and touched his arm. "My parents were gunned down in front of me, Edward. Jake and Nessie – attacked in their house just two days ago. Murder is evil. _You_ are not. You didn't kill your wife, nor were you responsible for her death. I don't know how long we'll be in each other's lives, but please, do me a favor, and never ever say anything like that about yourself in front of me again."

The pain in his eyes slowly evaporated as surprise and a bit of wonder replaced it. He looked down at my hand on his arm and I immediately went to pull it away. His hand shot out to grab it as he said with a small smile, "Deal."

I nodded and shook his hand. "Deal."

We stood there gazing at each other, our hands clasped in our handshake, when Emmett came walking out.

"So, are we good?" Emmett asked. We turned and saw him standing on the porch stairs, carrying Hallie. Rosalie, Garrett, Kate and Irina were all making their way up the path after him.

I let go of Edward's hand and I backed away from him. He was still looking at me as he responded, "Yeah, Em, we're good."

"I'm glad," Emmett said with a grin as he joined us on the porch. "And now for the million-dollar question: What's your story?"

~#~

An hour later, the McCarty living room was silent as Edward and I finished talking. With Hallie safely playing in her room, I'd told them everything I knew. I spoke about the treasure hunt: how it was sponsored by Edward's station, how it worked, and why Jake and I signed up. I told them about what happened just a day and a half ago at Jake and Nessie's house: the new home, the planned sleepover, pizza, thinking it was Quil when the doorbell rang, and all that I'd heard downstairs. Then Edward joined in to help explain what happened since: my breaking into his house, getting the money at Jake's, beating up Chuck, the cell phones being traced, the chase through the Presidio, and the escape by boat and then bike.

They were all curious about Jake and Nessie's disappearance and threw out some of the same theories as Edward. Maybe Jake was into something. Maybe he staged it. For some reason, none of them thought as I did: maybe the thugs took their bodies to dispose of them. My heart started to hurt and I had to ask them to stop.

Since it was clear that it had to do something with NSAR-SF, Emmett and Garrett asked tons of questions about the stops Jake and I had made. While I couldn't recall the exact names, I listed the neighborhoods we'd stopped in, as well as all the types of shops I could remember: pharmacy, toys, wine, cameras, shoe repair, lingerie, sporting goods, video, Chinatown souvenirs, candles, cards, and coffee. Since Jake and I separated a few times, I didn't know all of them.

"I have a question," Rosalie interjected, surprising me. She'd been noticeably quiet during the discussion. Moreover, her body language had shifted dramatically during that time, changing from friendly to almost angry, her arms folded across her chest as she sat on the sofa next to Emmett. "Why did you come here, Edward?"

Edward looked surprised. "What do you mean? We needed a place to hide out for a while."

"That place isn't here."

Emmett gasped. "Babe!"

She turned to look at him. "No, Emmett. Just no. We've spent five years building our lives and forgetting the past." She pointed to his tattoo. "Never look back." She looked at Edward again. "And now you've come here with trouble nipping at your heels. I don't know why you'd think this was okay."

"Rosie, you know Edward is like a brother to me," Emmett said.

She looked at Emmett again. "And like you, I'd do anything for him, but he's put us all in danger for her!" she said, gesturing at me. "Look at them. They barely know each other. They just met in person a day and a half ago. She's not even his girlfriend. She's nothing to him or us!"

Looking at Edward, she said, "Edward, you know I love you, but I won't let her ruin our lives. We've got a family to consider now. You can't 'hide' here," she said looking at me.

Edward sat motionless as he took this all in. I didn't know what kind of reaction I expected, but silence wasn't it. Suddenly, exhaustion overwhelmed me. I felt defeated and lost. I just wanted this nightmare to be over.

_Dream on._

I didn't want to cry in front of everyone, so I put on a brave face and stood up quickly. "You're right. I don't want to disrupt your lives and I certainly don't want to endanger them. Look, I'll leave." Edward's head popped up, a surprised look on his face. I ignored it and continued. "You don't need this complication, but I need to ask a big favor: could I just wash up and get a little rest before then? I'm kind of wiped-out and I need to recharge so that I can figure out my next step and head off again."

"Bella, what do you mean…?" Edward whispered. I met his gaze quickly and looked back at Emmett and Rosalie.

Emmett looked at Edward, and then at his wife, before turning to me. Concern was evident on his face. "Sure kid. You can nap in the spare room. Second door on the left, just past Hallie's room." He started to rise. "Here, I'll show you."

I picked up my backpack. "No need. I can find it. Thanks. I'll be out of your hair as soon as I can."

The room was silent as I made my way down the hall. I found the spare room and stepped inside. As I closed the door, I heard them talking.

"Jesus, Rose, that was harsh. After all she's been through?" Garrett said.

"Shit," Edward muttered.

Kate cleared her throat. "Well, that was pleasant," she said sarcastically. "Speaking of hair…"

My tears started flowing the second I was alone. Worried that they'd hear me, I went into the bathroom and turned on the water for a shower. Mercifully, it warmed quickly and I jumped in, crying as silently as possible. Knowing that the sooner I napped, the sooner I could leave, I washed up quickly and threw on Edward's t-shirt and sweats. I towel-dried my wet hair and collapsed into the bed, trying to figure out my next move.

I needed time to think, but where could I go? If they knew my history, they were probably watching for me in Arizona. Maybe I could go to Wyoming or Colorado and hole up in a small mountain town. Maybe I could buy a clunker car and take off; I was sure Rosalie would drive me to a used car lot to get rid of me quickly, but wouldn't they need to see my driver's license if I did that? Even if I used Nessie's license, it would put me on the grid.

Maybe there was a train I could stow away on, just like you see in movies. Hide out and just go anywhere and leave it all behind… including Edward. I'd involved him enough. With his history, he didn't need any more trouble.

The thought of leaving him brought on a batch of fresh tears, and I quickly covered myself up with the sheet and cried myself to sleep.

Dream Tony/Edward came to visit me again on our blanket in the meadow. He looked different, younger somehow… and more real.

"_I'm gonna miss you,"_ I said to my dream friend.

He smoothed the hair from my face and leaned in to kiss my forehead. Lying down next to me, he reached for my hand and clasped it in both of his.

"_Don't worry my Izzy-Bella, I won't abandon you…"_

~#~

It was late afternoon when I heard music softly playing. I felt movement, heard a click, and then again felt the bed move once again. As my conscious mind awakened, I felt the warmth of another hand in mine. I breathed deeply and instantly recognized it was Edward.

It hurt to open my eyes since they were puffy and likely swollen from crying. When I finally managed it, I saw warm green eyes.

"Hello," he said with a smile.

"Hi," I replied shyly. "Did you sleep here too?"

"Yeah, I came in about an hour after you. You were passed out."

"I'm exhausted. You must be too." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry I dragged you and them into this, Edward."

He released my hand and then I felt him gently tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear. "I'm not," he said quietly. I opened my eyes again. "You're the first new friend I've allowed myself to have in a long time, Bella."

_There's that damned word again. _

I took notice of all his features as he lay there next to me. He had pretty eyes and a beautiful smile which might look feminine if it wasn't set among his more masculine features – angular jaw, thick eyebrows, straight, perfectly-formed nose.

I frowned as I took him in. He looked different, but what-? _Oh!_ I blinked and sat up as it hit me.

His ponytail was gone.

"Holy shit," I gasped.

He sat up slowly. "What?" Noting that my eyes were trained on his head, he smiled sheepishly and ran his hands through his hair. "Oh, yeah. Irina cut it for me. This is the real me."

The action seemed so natural and I now understood why it looked so odd when he'd done it with the long hair.

I reached out and he followed my hand movement as I touched his head and ran my fingers through his hair. It was soft and thick, and our combined actions gave him a mussed-up, just-rolled-out-of-bed look.

_Yeah. I know the real him._

"Do you like it?" he asked.

I nodded. "You look good." _Understatement._ "You look like you." _You look freakin' gorgeous._

_Shit._

I quickly withdrew my hand and scooted back to sit with my back to the headboard. "Irina cut it, huh?" I asked, trying to keep the venom out of my tone. The wench aggravated me.

He sighed and then moved to sit next to me. "My first year out of Folsom, I just hopped on my bike and rode. I met Kate during my travels. She was a bookkeeper for a bar that I frequented as I passed through a small town, not far from that motel. We hooked up on and off, nothing serious. When Garrett got out and joined me, it was all she wrote for our time together."

"A few months later, I was traveling through again and Kate's sister Irina was visiting. She's a hairdresser in Reno. We hooked up. She wanted more. I didn't. After I got the job at the station, I didn't see her as often and it just faded away."

He reached for my hand and held it on the bed between the two of us. We both looked at our clasped hands. "I didn't want to be emotionally close to anyone. I was raw from what Tanya had done and my guilt over my part in it all. Physical encounters were all I could take. Just sex."

_Huh. Just sex. I'll bet it was good._ I smiled wistfully. "Clearly you have a type," I said, looking at him.

He was still looking at our hands, as he began rubbing mine with his thumb. "Clearly my type has changed," he said softly, turning to look at me.

The force of his look combined with those words nearly knocked the breath out of me. What was he saying? Just like when he'd fixed my cuts at his home, I felt that energy between us, only it was stronger this time. He looked down at my lips and back at my eyes. "Bella, I–"

A knock at the door interrupted the moment. "Bella? Are you awake?" Emmett asked.

"Uh, yeah." I scrambled off the bed to open the door.

Emmett looked at me and then at Edward sitting on the bed. He nodded down the hall. "You might want to see this."

We followed him to the living room where the rest were gathered. Kate swiveled in her seat by the computer in the corner as we entered the room.

"I hope we didn't wake you, but Edward said he'd be getting the two of you up around now." She gestured at the computer. "After he went to sleep, we got to wondering whether there was any news on your friends, Jacob and Nessie…" she began.

I froze. "And?" I managed to choke.

Garrett shook his head. "Nothing. Just articles about his new business from several months ago, and a few mentions of him at various events here and there." I looked at the computer screen behind Kate and there was the Team Jacob picture from the Bay to Breakers.

My heart started racing so fast, I thought it was going to fly out of my chest. Meanwhile, my feet felt like they were glued to the floor. Then I felt two hands on my shoulders as Edward stepped closer to me. He was almost flush against me when he leaned down and whispered, "It's okay, Bella. I'm with you." I nodded and relaxed a little as I moved closer to the computer.

Kate clicked to another page. "We did find something else. It may be nothing… but the owner of one of the Treasure Hunt shops was found dead yesterday morning. She ran a camera store that participated in the event, and you mentioned you stopped in a camera store…" she offered.

I leaned in and scanned the brief clip:

_The body of a woman was found in a dumpster in the Mission early Sunday morning, police said. Two employees of a gaming company spotted the body from the third floor of their office building._

_She was been identified as Victoria Hammond, 34, from San Francisco. Ms. Hammond was the proprietor of HV Photo, a camera store in the Hayes Valley section of San Francisco._

_The store was one of thirty establishments participating in the Great Treasure Hunt event sponsored by KFOG this past weekend. KFOG officials…_

I grabbed the mouse and clicked to scroll down. There, embedded in the article, was a small photo of the redheaded woman from the camera shop where Jake and I had gone.

I gasped. Images and voices hit me all at once as the dots connected instantly:

The two big, scary men.

"_We need to talk, Victoria."_

The voices at Jake's and Nessie's house.

'Dee'

"_Demetri." "Felix."_

Flash drive.

I whirled from the computer and maneuvered around everyone as I ran back to the spare room to grab my bag. I returned to the living room just as quickly, rooting around the front pocket until I felt it.

Everyone was staring at me when I looked up and shoved the object out in front of me. I stared at Edward and said, "This is what they're after. Jake and I must have switched them by mistake when he dumped my stuff out to inventory our collection on Saturday night."

"Should we look at what's on it?" Irina asked.

"No!" Garrett exclaimed. "It could open up immediately into some website account. We don't know if they'll be able to trace that thing to this location the minute you pop it in. I mean, I'm no computer expert, but you never know. You need a much better security system than this."

Everyone was quiet as we looked at the object in my hand. Finally, Emmett spoke.

"Dude," he said, looking at Edward, "I know you won't want to do this, but you have no choice. I think it's time to pay a visit to The Oracle."

* * *

**A/N2: Hmm. I wonder who they're going to see now? (I think it's Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha. Hubs thinks it is the lady from The Matrix. ;) What do you think?)  
**

**It's all coming together, bit by bit. (And the ponytail is gone! Yay!)  
**

**As always, thank you to my badass beta Irritable Grizzzly (who just won the Hidden Star Award for Best Beta! Woo hoo!)  
**

**Please review.  
**

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from Aerosmith's Dream On and line from the movie A Few Good Men._

_Answer to Tony's questions:_

_- Aerosmith  
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ('78, staring Peter Frampton & the Bee Gees!) and Wayne's World 2  
- Come Together (great Beatles cover)_

_Finally, Inspector Javert is the relentless policeman who chased __Jean Valjean in Les Misérables._


	15. Boston

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: Thank you to Missypooh, nerac, Mac214, secamimom, Kassiah and The Fictionators for the great reviews of this story. The link to The Fictionators website is on my profile for those of you who haven't seen it.  
_

_Thank you as well to any of you spreading the word about this story. I really appreciate it. As an FYI to current and new readers alike, I generally post the new chapter every other weekend.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Boston: Peace of Mind**

**#**

About twelve hours after we arrived at the McCarty house, Edward and I said our goodbyes and left. Off to see the wizard. Or rather, the "Oracle". Normally, after hearing that name, I'd start wondering whether I'd soon be falling down the rabbit hole after Alice, or taking a red pill to see that cookie lady from The Matrix. Unfortunately, as I'd said to Edward two nights ago, we were far the hell away from normal. "Weird" had quickly become modus operandi.

After all that had happened with his friends, it was oddly comforting to be back on the bike with Edward, impending sore ass notwithstanding. Over the past few hours I'd learned so much about him and it finally felt like I was seeing the real guy I'd befriended over the past eight months. I felt worlds better with this confirmation that our phone relationship wasn't something imagined: his terms of endearment, his interest during our chats…it was all completely genuine. I smiled and huddled closer to him.

It had been a strange couple of hours after we'd discovered I had the flash drive the goons were after; however, we still didn't know what was on it. When we took off, all I knew was that we were on our way to San Diego to see someone named "Brandon." While Edward had been irritatingly cagey about who this was, I held my tongue and waited for a break in our journey to get the details as he'd promised. Even then, I was sure I'd be in for more surprises when we landed at our next spot.

_More surprises? You need that like you need a third leg, Bella._ Guns. Murders. Quick getaways. A dingy motel room. False identities. Wrongful imprisonment. An abundance of ex-lovers. Joe Pesci's voice rang out in my head: _"Is there any more SHIT we can pile on…? Is it possible?"_

Why yes, Vinny, don't forget about the haircuts and the odd conversations with the three blonde babes before we left. I held on tightly as I processed through everything and wondered about what they'd told me…

~#~

"The Oracle?" I asked, looking at Edward for an explanation. He inhaled and held his breath as he sat down in the nearest chair. Exhaling slowly, he put his elbows on his knees and looked down, tugging on his hair. Despite my seemingly endless state of anxiety, I was mildly amused by his action. It was clear that his ponytail had been constricting a patented Edward move and I found it adorable. _Adorable? Now is not the time!_ Pushing the thought out of my head, I focused on the larger issue: it was obvious he didn't like this option.

"Unfortunately you're right, Em. I just—"

"You just have no choice." Emmett responded. "Assuming that Bella's correct and the flash drive's what they're after, you're holding a time bomb. Whatever's on that," he said pointing at the object in my hand, "is important enough to kill over. You need to know what it is."

"Why not turn it into the police here? Far away from the ones in San Francisco?" Rosalie asked.

"Wouldn't they make me stay and answer questions? In the meantime, they'll start checking into my background. As soon as they do that, they've put me on the grid again."

Rosalie put her hand on her hip. "So? I doubt those guys will come down and take out the whole police station just to get to you."

While her comment was completely logical, at that moment it hit me the wrong way. I sighed, kneeled down, returned the drive to my backpack, and zipped it closed. Still looking down I said, "Look, Rosalie, you've already made it clear how unimportant I am. I get it." I stood up and faced her. She looked like she'd been slapped. Unfazed, I continued. "Let's say it's an easy-to-open file, but its meaning requires detailed research. I doubt they'll keep me there while they investigate. The police will let me go but tell me to stay in the area, and unless I'm assigned a security detail, I'm a sitting duck."

Garrett nodded. "This also assumes the guys who are after her are only operating in San Francisco. If whatever they're into is national, they could have connections everywhere, particularly here in Sin City."

"This is also assuming I get a really competent police officer when I get there. One who doesn't screw it up and tip them off before they've got a handle on what's going on. Do any of you happen to know any cops you trust?" I asked, looking around the room. Taking their silence as a "no," I continued. "Unless the drive opens immediately to a picture of a crime clearly in progress, I put myself at risk the second I step into the station." I looked directly at Rosalie. "You may not care about what happens to me, but I do."

Rosalie frowned and actually looked hurt by my comment. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, Kate spoke.

"Why not turn it in anonymously, then?"

"Because they'll come after her, thinking she still has it," Garrett said. "Emmett is right. The best defense is a good offense. Find out what it is and then figure out your next step. It's your only way of getting your life back…and possibly making them pay for what they did to your friends." Garrett paused and looked at me. "Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless you plan to stay underground. To get really lost," he suggested.

Wow. Stay underground? For a brief moment I considered this, but in order to make it work I'd have to abandon everything and keep changing my name and location. I wouldn't be able to make any real friends because I'd just be moving on sooner or later. It would be a lonely existence and the idea was depressing: hadn't I been through enough in the last thirteen years?

_If you're feelin' kinda low 'bout the dues you've been paying…_

Once upon a time, that might have been really appealing, but I'd been working so hard to get out of my shell, the notion that I'd have to retreat further was horrifying and infuriating. I knew how to stay off the grid, but I didn't plan on living my life that way. When was I going to get to experience love and relationships like everyone else around me?

_All I want is to have my peace of mind…_

"It's okay, Bella," Garrett said. I looked at him, wondering why he'd said that when I realized my body had taken on a rather defensive posture, with my shoulders thrown back and my fists clenched in at my sides. I looked like I was ready to punch someone.

"Sorry," I said, as I relaxed, looking around and taking in everyone's concerned expressions. I shook my head. "No. I don't want to hide forever." I looked at Edward. "But is it safe? I don't want to put more people in danger," I said, gesturing at everyone in the room. "I mean, we are talking about a person, right, this Oracle?"

Edward nodded. "Yes. The Oracle is a computer expert…one of the best out there," he said quickly.

I waited for him to elaborate but he fell silent. "Okaaay. Care to share more?"

He stared at me and then blinked. "Right now? No."

_Is he freaking kidding? After everything we've just been through?_ My mouth dropped open in surprise. I instantly closed it, my eyes narrowing as I debated whether to start swearing at him or slug him, when I noticed his eyes widen and shift to my right. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm and was surprised to see it was Irina's, who had been completely silent during this whole exchange.

_Now what?_

"Okay, Bella, come with me."

"Irinaaa…" Edward growled, his tone warning her.

I looked at him then down at her hand, and then glanced up at her, my face clearly wearing a, "Oh no, you are NOT touching me, bitch" expression on it. Luckily, the words that actually came out of my mouth were much more civil.

"Excuse me?"

"Relax, you two," she said rolling her eyes as she let go of me. "I'm trying to help. If your plan involves going back to San Francisco anytime soon, we need to do something about your appearance. We've already fixed him," she said, gesturing at Edward with her chin. "Now we have to work on you."

This had to be a joke. The woman who'd been practically peeing on Edward to stake a claim wanted to help? I would have thought she'd be dying to have me gone.

Apparently Edward agreed with me. "Please," he said, "don't mess with-"

"Actually, it's a great idea," Kate piped in.

He looked at Kate. "You think so? Considering…"

"Edward," Irina began, surprising everyone in the room with the use of his preferred name, "you've made yourself clear. I know where I stand." She shrugged. "Since we know that you have no intention of letting Bella go this alone…well…let me do my part."

I couldn't hide my surprise. I looked at him. Had he said something to her about me?

Edward caught my puzzled gaze and smiled warmly. "You're right, Irina: I have no intention of letting her go…alone," he said, still staring at me. I smiled in return.

Emmett chuckled. "You two need to get a room, the way you're constantly mooning over each other. Oh, wait, you had a room and apparently nothing happened. Twice."

"Emmett," Rosalie groaned.

Edward closed his eyes and grimaced. I instantly turned bright red and looked down in shock at the fascinating backpack at my feet. Had Edward shared that much when I was asleep?

Once again, Irina tugged on my arm. "Come on, let's get started. I'm set up at Kate's house already."

I sighed and nodded, then bent down to get my backpack as she and Kate headed for the front door. As I passed Edward, he stood, stepped closer and grabbed my hand, as his other moved to my right bicep. He leaned in, his breath on my ear making me shiver as he whispered, "I promise to tell you more once we're away."

I pulled back to look him in the eyes. "I'll hold you to that."

He winked. "I know you will." He tilted his head toward the front door. "Go. We'll need to get on the road in a couple of hours."

Kate held the door open for me as I exited the house. Irina was already way ahead of us as we walked over to the Winthrop house.

"Edward is a great guy, you know," Kate said quietly.

I nodded. "Yeah, he seems to be. Like we told you before, until all this, we really hadn't discussed anything too personal."

"So, you didn't know about any of us? About me and Irina?"

I huffed. "Definitely not."

She exhaled loudly. "Whew. Baptism by fire. That must have been a hell of a shock." She paused and then said, "You're good for him, you know."

"Nothing is going on," I said quickly.

She smiled. "Not yet."

Her comments, combined with others here and there, were baffling. "What did he say to all of you?"

"He doesn't have to say anything, Bella. We've all known him for a while, in different capacities of course, but it's enough for us to see."

"See what? As Rosalie pointed out-"

"Ah, Rose." Kate shook her head. "She can be a bit of a bulldog when it comes to protecting her family and loved ones, but she doesn't know him in the same way that Irina and I do, obviously. He's different with you than he was with us. You calm him."

My eyes widened. "Calm him? I've disrupted his life by dragging him into this."

"I don't think there's any place he'd rather be. Well, that's not quite true. He'd probably prefer that you _not _be on the run from danger, but it's clear he wants to be at your side. He's so gentle with you, almost reverent." We continued up the path to her home.

"Well," I explained, "we've been talking for a long time and have become good friends."

She shook her head. "The way he looks at you when he knows you're not looking is definitely more than friendly, sweetie." She hopped up the porch steps and opened the screen door. When she turned around, she registered the surprised look on my face and laughed. "You need to open your eyes, Bella. Come on, let's let Irina work her magic."

I scowled and walked slowly up the stairs, clearly trying to delay whatever Irina had planned. Kate smiled gently. "Don't worry about her; she knows what's what. She won't do anything to mess you up. You're too important to him and it would piss him off."

_I'm important to him and it would piss him off? Well at least I've got that going for me._ I shrugged and made my way inside.

"I'm in here!" Irina called.

I followed Kate to the kitchen and saw Irina standing by the sink. "Let's get started. What color do you think would look best, Kate?"

I looked and saw various bottles on the counter. "What are you planning to do?"

"Disguise you. Change your hairstyle and color."

"Dye my hair? Whoa! Can't I just get a wig?"

"It's a holiday and we're running low on time. If we were at my house, I might have a few wigs to try out but the only ones Kate has are the neon pink or green ones that she's used for Halloween. We're trying to make you look different but still blend in."

"I get it but I… I…" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My hair color was exactly like my mom's. It made me feel like I always had a part of her with me. For some reason the idea of looking in the mirror and seeing a stranger was too much.

"It's okay, Bella," Kate said. "You've been through a lot." She turned to Irina and said firmly, "Different, but not too extreme."

Irina frowned. "It really would be better…" Then she looked at me and shrugged. "Okaaay. Lean over here so I can wash your hair."

The room was silent as she spent the next two minutes washing and conditioning my hair. Afterward, she stood in front of and scrutinized my face. Her staring became unnerving and after a few moments, I said, "Yes?"

She gave me a tight smile. "You're very pretty, you know? Unfortunately, I can see what he sees in you."

I raised my eyebrows. _Unfortunately? Greaat._ "Thanks," I muttered.

"So you two really haven't-"

"Irina!" Kate hissed.

"What? I find it amazing, that's all. I mean he and I-"

I stood quickly and held up my hands. "Okay, we're done."

"No!" Kate blurted. "I told you, she won't mess you up."

"Then can we change the topic?" I begged. "To anything else?"

Kate nodded. "Absolutely. Behave, all right Irina?"

Her sister chuckled. "Yeah, fine."

I sat down and Irina combed my hair. Then she picked up the scissors and got started.

I decided to break the awkward silence. "Do either of you know where we're going?" I asked. "Or who this Oracle person is?"

"I don't know much," Kate said. "Just that he's a computer wizard, like Edward said. Some guy named Brandon. Irina?"

"Yeah, same." Irina responded.

"How does Edward know him?"

"No idea. We didn't talk much-"

I grimaced. Jeez, even when she wasn't sharing, she shared too much.

"Irina!" Kate cut her off again.

"Hold on, hold on. I'm behaving!" she said, indignantly. "I was _about to say_ that we didn't talk much about his connections outside of those I knew."

Kate chuckled. "Oh. Sorry." Then she said to me, "I get the feeling that whoever Brandon is, it's pretty secret. Like he's a legendary underground hacker or something."

My mind quickly conjured up Hugh Jackman in Swordfish. _Oooh._ However, that image was instantly replaced by the more stereotypical geeks you see in the movies and TV, completely wired and on a sugar high from all the candy and soda they use to stay awake, messed up hair, wearing nerdy tees. Sadly, that seemed more likely. _I wonder how Edward knows a hacker._

As they started catching up on each other's lives, I realized we'd interrupted their sister-time with our impromptu visit. I closed my eyes and silently listened to them talking affectionately with each other. It was nice to hear. I zoned out, listening until it became just a buzz.

Suddenly it was silent. I opened my eyes and found Irina in front of me, looking carefully at my head. I looked around and noticed that Kate was nowhere in sight. "She went to the bathroom," Irina said, answering my unasked question. She picked up the blow dryer and plugged it in. "You're not very experienced with men, are you?"

_Huh?_ "Why do you ask?"

"I'm not really asking, actually. I can tell. You seem pretty wise beyond your years in many ways but that." She put the dryer on the table and then leaned against the counter, watching me. "I know I'm probably the last person you want or expect to hear this from…" she began.

_Now everybody's got advice they just keep on givin'…_

"Did you wait for Kate to leave to do this?" I asked.

She smiled widely. "Of course!"

_Doesn't mean too much to me…_

I took a big breath and held it. _Oh boy._

"He's crazy about you. And it's clear you feel the same."

"What?" I sputtered. "It's clear?"

"Well, to everyone but the two of you. But the sexual tension. Jesus!"

"Irinaaa," Kate said with a groan as she reentered the kitchen. "You said you'd behave."

Irina glanced at her sister. "I'm just trying to help. Look at them! They're like magnets: she moves, he moves." She turned to me and said, "He can't stop himself from touching you, but in such a delicate way...like he's afraid of breaking you or of you running away." She paused, leaned forward and spoke slowly. "He's gauging your reaction. You just need to give him the go-ahead."

I flushed again. _This is the strangest conversation…_

"She's right, you know," Kate said, stepping into view. "None of us know how this will turn out for you but…in the limited time you have, don't fight your feelings. Life's too damn short."

I looked down at my lap. _Life's too short._ This I knew far too well.

"Bella, don't get me wrong," Irina began, matter-of-factly. "If Edward had ever wanted something more with me, I'd have jumped at it in a second," she said wistfully, then shrugged. "He didn't and he still doesn't. It's pretty clear what he wants." Then she picked up the blow dryer and finished up.

Ten minutes later, she led me to the bathroom and showed me the finished product. I gasped. She'd cut off about eight inches and given me long bangs. My hair was now shoulder-length and angled around my face giving it an entirely different shape.

"See," she said softly, "not too extreme."

I was amazed at the 180-degree turn my feelings had taken for the scantily-dressed woman standing next to me. While I was sure it had a lot to do with the fact that she wasn't pawing Edward anymore, I could see that she had a big heart. "Thank you," I said.

I heard the phone ring and Kate talking in the background. Then she appeared at the bathroom door and nodded. "We're done and we'll be right over." She hung up and said, "Emmett and Rose have barbecued some burgers and dogs. Let's get you fed before you head off."

Edward was standing on the porch as we made our way back to the McCarty home. Kate and Irina went around to the back of the house as he stepped down the stairs and walked toward me. His eyes never left my face.

"Well?" I asked once he was standing in front of me.

He smiled. "You look great." He shrugged. "But you looked great before."

"Oh yeah?" I chuckled, "Which look was best? The 'bed-head and puffy-eyes' look or the 'helmet-head with grimy-face' look?"

"Bella, you could be bald and covered with mud and you'd still look pretty," he blurted. Then his eyes widened and he looked down.

_Hmm…_ I tried to put him at ease. "Please," I joked, "save your mud-wrestling fantasy for another time. Let's go eat."

He looked up and grinned. Then he grabbed my hand and led me to the backyard.

~#~

An hour later, we all stood in the front as we readied to leave. Edward spoke quietly with his friends as I packed up the saddle bags with the food and our stuff. When a set of hands joined mine holding some bottles of water, I looked up and was surprised to see Rosalie next to me.

I took them from her and nodded. "Thanks," I said as I made room for them in my backpack.

"I owe you an apology, Bella."

I was confused by the sad look on her face.

"I'm sorry I was so rude. It's just that my family is everything to me and all of this instantly sent me into a tailspin."

I nodded. "I know. I didn't mean to put you in danger. I had no idea where we were headed or any of his history. You were right. We barely knew each other before this trip-"

She cut me off. "You didn't know basic facts about one another, but who each of you are at the core level? I think you've known that for a while." She paused. "I was wrong to say what I did…It's clear you're important to him, which means you're important to all of us."

Without warning, she stepped in to hug me. "I know that you have to go and find the Oracle," she whispered, "but please keep yourselves safe so you can return. You'll always be welcome here."

I swallowed hard and nodded as she walked away. When I turned, I found Edward watching us carefully. Rosalie hugged him tightly and then moved over to stand with Emmett and Hallie. He nodded at me, put on his helmet, got on the bike, and started the engine. I snapped my helmet in place and climbed on behind him, getting into my now familiar position. With a wave, he revved the engine and we were gone.

About three hours later, we finally made a pit stop to use the restroom and have something to drink. Edward leaned against a picnic table as I paced, trying to stretch my legs.

"So," I said, taking another sip of soda and giving him a side-glance, "are you going to tell me about this Oracle now, or will this be another of your grand surprises?"

He smirked. "Now admit it, you're starting to like all the little surprises I've been springing on you, aren't you?"

I stopped pacing and stood in front of him. "Come on, mister. Out with it. Who's this Brandon guy?"

He cocked his head in surprise. "Where did you hear that name?"

"Irina and Kate."

"Hmm. Interesting."

I rolled my eyes, "Jeez! Just tell me!"

He took a step closer and leaned in to me. I mirrored his actions. "The Oracle is a genius hacker," he said quietly. "Very underground. Because of the need for secrecy, I try not to say much in front of anyone. My friends know that there _is _an Oracle, but not the identity or location. It's much safer for everyone involved."

"And you know him how?"

"We go way back. We've known each other since we were kids."

"Kids? Really? Wow, that's a long time!" I marveled. I wasn't in touch with anyone from my childhood.

He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. "Bella, are you calling me an old man?"

"What?" I instantly realized how that must have sounded. _Crap._ "Oh, no, I- I didn't mean…" I stammered.

"Well, just for that, I'll keep the rest to myself. You'll find out in a few hours when we get to San Diego."

"Oh, that's not fair!" He smiled and made a zipped-lip gesture and I sighed. "Okay, just as long as I'm not going to meet another long-legged ex, I think I can take it."

He laughed. "Another ex? Long-legged? Hardly." We tossed our bottles in the recycling and put on our helmets. He climbed on the bike and then looked at me. "Hop on."

I climbed on behind him and he instantly pulled my arms so that I was snugly wrapped around him. Then he looked back and grinned, "Okay darlin', we're off to see the Oracle… AKA: my sister."

My jaw dropped instantly. "Your WHAT?" _Jeez, does this guy EVER do full-disclosure?_

He winked and reached up to flip my visor down. Then he faced forward, flipped his own down, started the engine, and took off.

~#~

It was close to midnight when we pulled up to a small house not far from the ocean in Solana Beach. Along the drive, I'd churned through more of our past conversations and realized Edward had mentioned an "us" in that story about Lennon, as well as some other minor points that I'd neglected at the time. It was clear that he'd long-protected his privacy by choosing his words carefully. _I sure hope I didn't miss anything else._

We dismounted, got our stuff out of the saddle bags, and walked quietly up the path to the front door. The street was dimly lit and the house was dark. As my eyes adjusted, I took in the lush plants and palm trees adorning the front of the house and noted the shape of a hammock tied between two of the palms.

"It's kind of late," I whispered. "Did you call her to let her know we were coming?"

"Nope," he said.

"But what if she's not home?"

"She's home," a light, musical voice came from our left. I gasped in surprise and instantly grabbed onto Edward's arm. We turned and watched a small silhouette rise from the hammock and walk toward us.

I couldn't distinguish her features, but I could make out her shape. She was small, about 5'1", maybe 5'2" and she seemed to be sporting a mussed-up do, just like Edward's. _Maybe it's a family trait._

"Hey," Edward said quietly, "what are doing sitting out here in the dark?"

"Waiting for you, of course," she said, passing us and continuing up the walkway to the front door. "What the hell took you so long?"

I whispered to Edward, "I thought you said you didn't tell her."

"I didn't," he whispered back.

She opened the door and we followed her in. Moving around the room, she turned on some lights, and when she turned around, I finally got a good look at her.

She was barefoot, and wore leggings with a cute sleeveless baby doll top. On her petite form, the outfit made her look like a little elf. Her hair was short, dark, and spiky; ironically looking very much like Halle Berry's hair in Swordfish, and her eyes were a beautiful blue. Not the stereotypical hacker at all.

Edward took a step toward her and she rushed at him. They hugged each other tightly and he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Nice hair, Alice," he said.

She laughed and let go of him. "I could say the same to you," she said, reaching up to mess up his helmet head. Then she ran her fingers through her short locks. "You haven't seen me in a while, Edward. I've had it like this for years. Everyone here is blonde – so I decided to change it. Besides, dark-haired women have more fun? Right, Bella? Nice new hair-do, by the way."

I looked at her in shock. How did she know my name or what I looked like? I glanced at Edward who appeared to be just as surprised as I was.

Her eyes darted back and forth between us and she chuckled. "What? Don't look so shocked. My reputation is completely deserved. I know all and see all. I'm the Big O, baby," she said smugly.

Edward grinned at her and then took a step closer to me, putting a hand at the small of my back and gently guiding me forward. "Well, "O", let me formally introduce you to Bella-"

"… Swan. Age twenty-six. Address: 1425 Vallejo Street, San Francisco. Born in Forks, Washington. Later moved to Phoenix. Graduated with honors from Dartmouth and Harvard. Divorce from Michael Newton finalized in September 2009."

_Well, hello life story._ Yeesh, I hadn't even told Edward most of that stuff yet. "Wow, you're good."

She laughed. "No, I'm awesome. I'm also Alice, and it's very nice to meet you at last."

Meet me at last? What the heck was she talking about? I'd barely just met Edward.

"I know you only met him in person two days ago, Bella, and I'm sorry all of this couldn't happen under better circumstances, but I've been waiting for this for a long time."

I looked at Edward. "Are you sure you didn't tell her anything?"

He shook his head. "I haven't been in touch with her for years. Alice, stop freakin' her out," he chastised.

I couldn't fathom this. "Then how does she know?" I looked at Alice. "Can you tell the future?"

She scoffed. "Prediction is hard, especially about the future. I just happen to be the best at gathering information and analyzing it to keep me informed of what _could_ be coming. But I try not to let that hamper my actions." She shrugged. "I tend to live in the now."

_Hmm. That sounds familiar._

She started walking. "Let's go to the playroom. Do you want something to eat or drink?"

"Do you have any beer?" Edward asked.

She whirled to face us and continued to walk backward to our destination. "Stocked up for you!" She gestured to her right. "Go on in. Bella? Anything?"

"I'll take a beer too, thanks."

The playroom was an all-purpose entertainment area. It had some really comfy chairs and a huge deep sofa facing a gigantic fifty-inch plasma TV over the fireplace. In one corner of the room near the windows was a baby grand piano. I walked over and ran my hands over the smooth top. For some unknown reason, seeing the piano made me feel like a normal person: one who wasn't on the run from criminals, but rather got to sit and enjoy life's little pleasures…like playing an instrument.

I felt him before I heard him, as he came up behind me. "This used to be mine," he said.

"Does Alice play?"

"She used to. We both had lessons."

I turned to look at him. "Why don't you have one in San Francisco?"

"You've seen my apartment. I don't love uprights and that's all it has room for. That said, sometimes I go out and play at various bars in the city when the mood hits me."

"Really?"

He looked down at his hands. "It's usually when I'm in a bummed-out mood, sadly, but yes." He paused, then said, "I played a lot over the past month…"

"Why?"

He smiled shyly. "You stopped calling."

Those words, his tone and the look on his face all combined were a deadly combination. Then he delivered the KO punch. "Please don't leave me like that again," he practically whispered.

For a few seconds, I think I stopped breathing as we looked at each other. Apparently the reaction was mutual.

"Okay you two, breathe. Get out of that riding gear and come sit," she said, as she returned with a tray that held our beers, a big bowl of chips with a little bowl of salsa in the middle, and, oddly enough, a plate full of cookies.

We broke our staring contest, instantly stripping off our gear and then getting settled on the couch.

"Now," she began, "what's going on? Tell me everything, and spare no details."

We talked for a good hour and a half as I recounted the horror of what we'd been through. Alice listened, took occasional notes, and asked very detailed questions. It was good to run through it with her; the fresh eyes brought up new possibilities.

At two, Edward stood up. "Ugh, I feel grubby. I need a shower."

That sounded wonderful. "Oh, so do I," I said.

He looked at me and asked, "Do you want to go first?"

"No, age before beauty," I said with a smirk.

He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Again with the old man reference? I'm starting to get a complex."

"You're plenty complex already, mister. Go." He grinned and then walked down the hall to the bathroom. "And don't use all the hot water!" I said.

"Yes ma'am!"

I was still smiling when I looked up at Alice. She was looking at me with a big grin on her face.

"What?" I asked.

"He's a different man since you've come into his life, Bella."

I frowned. Her statements were so odd. I could see how Edward's friends could say this; he'd hung with them over the past three years. But Alice was a different story altogether.

"Alice, how do you know this about him… me… us?"

She sat back in her overstuffed chair and pulled her legs into a half-lotus position as she put her elbow on her knee and leaned her face on her hand. "I've been keeping tabs on my brother. Staying far from his past was his decision. He may have cut me out, but I've always wanted to be there for him.

"When Mom and Dad cut him off, it really hurt. I was just finishing college. He didn't want me to get in the middle of it, afraid that if there was any perception that I picked sides, they'd cut me off too." She shook her head. "After he got out of prison, I knew at some point he'd get in touch with me again. He just needed a reason. Speaking of which, where is it?" she asked, holding out her hand.

I reached into the bag at my feet and felt around until I had the flash drive. Then I went and handed it to her. She palmed it, holding onto my hand in the process.

"You've done wonders for him you know," she said softly.

"You haven't seen him in years. How can you tell?"

She smiled as she released my hand, taking the flash drive from me. I backed up a step as she stood, opened a drawer in the coffee table and pulled out a wireless keyboard, sitting back down, and typing like a demon. The plasma TV fired up and the music that had been playing stopped. I watched in amazement as a bunch of files flashed on the screen.

Suddenly, Edward's voice came from the speakers.

"_First caller: name the three bands."_

"_Boston. Kansas. Alabama."_

"_No country music answers allowed," he said abruptly. "Next."_

I was surprised to hear the clip. It was so unlike the Tony I'd known.

Alice raised her eyebrows and nodded. "I know, kind of flat, right?" She worked the keyboard again searching for files and said, "Now listen to this."

_~twtm~_

"_Okay, caller number one, impress me."_

"_Hi, it's Izzy from San Francisco. Boston's first album is the second best-selling debut album in the U.S. And their founding member was at MIT when he wrote 'Foreplay.'"_

"_And how long is the song?"_

"_The combination of Foreplay/Long Time is almost eight minutes, of which two-and-a-half is 'Foreplay.'"_

"_Hmm, you sure do know a lot about Foreplay, Izzy…"_

_~#~_

I smiled and shook my head as I listened to his double entendre. He loved to get me like that.

Alice stopped the audio file. "You see? Your on-air chemistry is amazing. There's a reason why KFOG plays clips of you, Bella. His okay show became a great show because of you. You brought him back to life."

"Rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated," he said. He was standing in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, leaning against the doorway. _Nice._ His eyes were smiling as he looked at me. "But she's right. I looked forward to your calls."

I didn't know what to say. Two days ago, his neon sign was all but screaming "go away." Now, it seemed like everything he said was purposely trying to draw me in…his words, his gestures, his tone. Could I dare to hope that Mr. Hyde was gone for good?

I smiled and grabbed my backpack. "My turn," I said as I passed him to use the shower.

Fifteen minutes later, dressed in Edward's sleep clothes, I sat curled in one corner of the oversized couch, listening to them churn through Alice's thoughts on what had happened. She wouldn't open the flash drive yet because she said she wanted to go to her "lair" over in Sorrento Valley, where her security system was highest. When she and Edward started to discuss asymmetric encryption, however, my eyes began to glaze over. It was too late for me to stay on top of what they were talking about.

The next thing I knew, I heard noises coming from somewhere. As I came out of my fog, I struggled to figure out when I'd fallen asleep. The sounds coming from the kitchen were familiar: a fridge opening and closing, a whisk beating something in a bowl, the coffee pot brewing. Slowly, I opened one eye and then shut it immediately against the light from the windows.

I moved a little and then realized the left side of my body was curled around something warm and solid. _This is a freaking hard sofa cushion. _Moving my hand, I pressed it against the part closest to my face and realized it was a body. I peeked and gasped. _Holy shit!_ _It's Edward!_ Boy, I must have been really out of it to mistake him for a pillow.

Just a few days ago, I told him I didn't often wake up in the arms of anyone and here I was wrapped around him. Jeez! Horrified by our position - my left arm was draped across his chest and my left leg was curled around his left leg - and hoping I hadn't inappropriately groped him sometime during the night, I slowly moved, but his left hand, which I realized was on my back, held me in place.

"What are you doing?" he groaned.

"I'm trying to get off of you! How did you end up next to me?"

He yawned. "You fell asleep. I tried to move you, but you wouldn't budge so I stretched out while I was chatting with Alice. I guess I drifted off too."

"What time did you go to sleep?"

"I don't know. Sometime after 3:30?"

I looked at the clock above the TV. It was 7:30 a.m. "What is Alice doing up?"

He shrugged. "Nighttime DJ. Secretive computer hacker. We keep weird hours, and we don't need much sleep. It runs in the family; we're part vampire."

I gasped and instantly grabbed my neck with both hands to protect it and cowered away from him in mock-horror.

He laughed and bit his lip. Then he turned to his left so that he could face me and moved the hair away from my face.

"Hey, you two, no getting your groove on, on my couch. I have food ready. Get your asses up."

Edward shook his head and sighed as he rolled off the couch. Sticking a hand out to help me up, he said, "Get our 'groove on,' Alice?"

"Felt seventies-ish," she said with a giggle.

"Right on," he said with a chuckle. "Go ahead and start. I'll be right there," he said, heading for the bathroom.

I followed Alice into the kitchen and looked at the stacks of pancakes and the turkey bacon strips.

She handed me a mug and I poured a cup of coffee. As I added milk and sugar, I said, "God, Alice, you've made enough food for an army. There's only three of us."

"Oh, you never know who might show up," she said quietly.

"Ha! With anyone else, I'd just laugh and ask who could be showing up unexpectedly at 7:30 in the morning, but with you I'm very sure someone will be arriving shortly."

Edward walked in and laughed when he looked at the massive pancake stack. He'd only taken a step forward when we heard a knock on the door.

"Edward," she said, fixing herself a cup of coffee, "would you get that?"

"Sure," he said, turning to go but stopped instantly when he heard the sound of keys. With a frown, he stepped into the hallway to see who was entering the house.

Alice looked at me with a sad smile. "Good thing I made more."

"ALICE!" he barked from the other room. I jumped and then steadied myself as I followed her to the foyer.

Standing at the front door was a pretty, older woman – maybe in her 50s - with caramel hair and green eyes. She was dressed casually but elegantly in navy knit pants and a matching blazer with a cream-colored top on underneath. Her eyes were wary as she stared at the man standing tensely in front of her.

"Hi, Edward," she said softly.

He looked down and shook his head. "Shit," he muttered.

Alice said, "Hi, Mom. Glad you could drop by."

* * *

**A/N2: Uh, what? **

**Sooo, many of you knew who the Oracle would be but I'll bet you didn't expect this. What do you think Bella's reaction will be? We'll find out soon (to quote Paul Simon: "the mother and child reunion is only a [chapter] away...").  
**

**Thank you to her not-so-Hidden Starness, Irritable Grizzzly, beta extraordinaire to the big-guns as well as to some of us little gals out here. (Grizzzly says that she's proud of me and that I'm not little… hmm, what is she implying?)**

**Please review.**

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from Boston's Peace of Mind and the line from the movie My Cousin Vinny._

_Tom Scholz wrote Foreplay while attending MIT, several years before it was released on their first album called, not surprisingly,"Boston." _


	16. Kansas

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: Hello again, new readers. There sure are a boatload (technical term) of you. I know many of you came from the recs by spanglemaker9 and marvar last week, so thank you to those lovely ladies and anyone else spreading the word about the story._

_Gonna give my thanks up front this week, so:_

_- As always, big thanks to my mah-belous beta, Irritable Grizzzly.  
- TYVM to philadelphic, who helped me with the info on this chapter's featured song._

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Kansas: Carry on Wayward Son**

**#**

"Hi Mom. Glad you could drop by."

_Riight._

By now I should have been used to his surprises, but truthfully, I wasn't. Granted, this wasn't as bad as hearing my phone friend had been in prison, but it still was a bit of a shock. Their mother's eyes shifted to me for a brief moment and then back to her son who stood with his hands in fists at his sides, still looking down, his whole body radiating anger. Rather than stand there like an idiot in the middle of their tense family reunion, I managed to quietly back away and return to the kitchen.

I could still hear their conversation. "Drop by?" Edward hissed. "Sure, because San Francisco is so close to San Diego, coming by for breakfast is a breeze."

"Edward," Alice said, "you haven't seen Mom in years. The least you-"

"That was intentional, Alice…"

_It's too early to process this new information,_ my mentally-tired self whined as I ran a hand over my face. Noting there was a door to the outside, I picked up my coffee cup, and stepped outside into the backyard to give them some privacy.

I took a sip of my coffee and walked into the middle of the yard in my bare feet, breathing in the fresh air. The morning was cool and it was a bit foggy. The backyard was nice and lush. It was small and somewhat secluded from the neighbors with all of the palms and various succulent plants and flowers. Between two of the palm trees I caught a glimpse of the ocean. I took a deep breath to clear my head and tried to stay calm about Edward's latest revelation. Or lack thereof.

"_Hi mom…"_

I shook my head. Why hadn't he told me about this yesterday when he revealed his past? How was this any worse than all the rest of his story? Would he ever stop talking in half-truths, or was I destined to get all the info on him piecemeal?

"_That was intentional…"_

Why did so many people have dysfunctional family relationships? While I was sure Edward's situation was unique - what with the disinheritance and, oh, wrongful imprisonment and all - it seemed almost everyone I knew had strained relations with at least one family member. They stopped speaking, they fought when they got together, or they just got on each other's nerves. I, on the other hand, would give almost anything to have mine back with me. This only served to make me miss my parents and Grams terribly.

_Baby Bird, be happy with the time you have together…_

Being in San Diego actually evoked many happy memories. Grams and her friends were the typical 'Zonies': Arizona residents who defected from the heat every summer and rented a place in San Diego. They each chipped in and took turns renting the place…Grams and Chelsea together one week, Marcus and Aro another, all four another. Mr. Aro's wife Sulpicia usually went to visit her family in Italy for the first month, but they'd get the place for the last two weeks of the summer.

I was nine when I came down for the first time; it was the first summer I was going to spend with Grams, so Mom and Dad took a week off to bring me down and spend time with everyone. I'd never seen a prettier place. It was so different from Forks and Arizona. The backyard of the Del Mar cottage actually looked a lot like Alice's, but with a slightly better view of the ocean. The week was just perfect…

_~#~_

"_My God, Mom, this place is like heaven," Dad said, as we sat in the backyard relaxing._

_Grams looked around the yard and back at the house behind us. "Yeah, Aro outdid himself this year. The condo we all usually stay at is much smaller, but he splurged a little because Baby Bird was gonna be with us," she said with a big smile. Then she frowned and looked at me. "Not that you've seen him much – jeez, he just loves the track."_

_My dad chuckled. "Dad would have been there with him. He loved the horseracing at Del Mar."_

_Grams nodded and took a sip of her iced tea. "I know. Geoffrey loved all of San Diego. He wanted us to move here, you know."_

_Dad sat up. "What? I didn't know that! Why didn't we?"_

"_Well, Forks was our home! Moving here would have been so different. When we came down here with you, we looked at a few places, but I couldn't imagine it. Plus it was so much more expensive. I told him that we first needed to build our nest egg and THEN after we got you through school we could move here and he could gamble it all away. Anyway, had we moved, you two never would have met," she said, pointing at my parents._

_Mom looked at Dad and smiled. "You never know. I came down with my family on vacation once when I was younger. Charlie and I might have met then. If it's meant to be…" _

"_That's true," Grams said. "Sometimes you run into the important people in your life in the strangest ways and places..." She looked around. "Being here reminds me of him," she said a little wistfully._

_I reached out and touched my grandmother's arm. "Why do you come here if it makes you sad, Grandma?"_

_She smiled. "It only makes me a little sad, sweetie. Sometimes the people we love don't stay with us. They can't. That's life." _

_My nine-year-old mind didn't like that. "Life isn't fair," I grumbled._

"_No, life is just strange… __Baby Bird, God has a plan for us all__, but since we don't know what that is, all we can do is be happy with ourselves and with our family-"_

"_And our friends," came a booming voice from behind us. We turned to see a smiling Aro walking out of the house to join us._

"_They're one and the same to me, Curvato," Grams said with a wink. Then she said, "As I was saying, be happy with the time you have together..." _

_~#~_

The sound of the door slamming behind me brought me out of my memories.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Edward muttered as he strode across the lawn. "Alice ambushed me!"

I turned and just looked at him.

"What?" he asked hotly.

I shrugged.

"No, not nothing. Out with it. What are you thinking?"

Knowing he was probably still raw, I decided to try some humor to express my dissatisfaction. "I was thinking that you weren't kidding back there on the couch. You're clearly part of a whole coven of new-fangled vampires – the kind that walks among us in the daylight. I mean, any more undead relatives you want to tell me about?" I asked calmly.

"I never said she was dead," he spat.

I frowned. "Okay, A) I don't like your tone. And B) Yes you did! You said-"

"I said my parents weren't_ with me_ anymore, Bella. That's true. They cut me off when I chose Tanya. Aside from denying who I was in the garage and then when you broke into my house, I've never lied to you."

I looked away. He was right. That was what he said, but it had been misleading and he knew it. Again, with his current state, I decided not to push it and just sighed. "Fine. But I don't want to have to replay all of our past conversations to decipher the _Edward code_. I have enough to figure out with this whole flash drive mess. We need to work together here." I glared at him pointedly. "Don't you trust me yet?"

He looked taken aback. "Of course… you're one of the few people I DO trust."

"Then why didn't you mention this yesterday?"

He took a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled slowly as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I _think _about them as long-gone. And once I knew we were coming here, I figured it would come out." He looked back at the house. "Just not this way," he added bitterly.

"May I ask a question?"

He turned back to me. "Anything."

"Why haven't you been in touch with Alice? You're clearly not angry at _her_ and she's been eager to be in your life."

He looked a little surprised. "Alice? I told you I didn't want to be emotionally close to anyone. That included my sister. Especially my sister. I needed time to just…be…for a while. You've seen her in action: she can be quite intrusive with her fact-finding. She was always a little like that, but once she truly came into her computer skills, she was unstoppable. I just wanted a clean slate for a while…before facing my past."

I closed my eyes and dropped my head as the guilt started creeping in again. I'd brought nothing but trouble to this guy since I broke into his house. "Then I'm sorry I forced you into all of this sooner than you wanted."

A light touch under my chin forced me to open my eyes. He was standing in front of me, and he gently raised my head so that I'd meet his gaze. "I told you yesterday not to be sorry for anything, especially not that," he said, gesturing toward the house.

"Do you know why she's here?"

"Alice invited her. It isn't every day the prodigal son returns."

"Invited her? But when?" How did his mother get to San Diego so fast?

He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the house. "I don't know," he said, sounding suspicious.

I could tell this could be a really ugly situation. "You know, it sounds like you have a lot to talk about. Maybe I should make myself scarce for a little while," I offered.

He looked panicked. "Oh, no, no, no…" he said, grabbing my shoulders. "I NEED you in there with me. _Please_," he pleaded.

_Well this is quite the turnaround._ Despite all of the emotional turmoil swirling around us, I felt a brief moment of satisfaction. I smirked at him.

"What?"

"A few days ago you said you wouldn't ask for my help." I grinned.

He blinked and then slowly smiled. "What a difference two and a half days makes, huh?"

"Sooo, before we go in..." I began.

"Yes?"

"Your father? Dead or undead?"

His body suddenly tensed and his expression hardened. He shook his head. "No idea. I'm assuming alive, but I guess we'll find out." He stood up straighter and looked determined. "Come on," he said. "The sooner we go in, the sooner we'll get this over with." He stomped toward the house.

"Okay," I said as I followed him. "Carry on, wayward son. There'll be peace when you are done."

He looked over his shoulder and made a face. I shrugged. "What? Seemed appropriate. And it's one of my top five."

He stopped in his tracks, a look of surprise on his face. "You're joking. Really? You've never told me your list…"

"No, not joking." I walked past him. "But now is not the time. No stalling." I stopped outside the door. "I'm gonna need a quick minute once we're inside. Bio break."

"You're not going to try to fix yourself, are you?" he asked, joining me.

"Uh, a little? Maybe just wash my face. Comb my hair? I'm about to meet your mother and I look like I just rolled off the sofa."

"I don't give a shit what my mother thinks, Bella. And for the record, I think you look cute; messy hair, pjs and all."

I reached up and mussed his hair. "You're one to talk, mister."

He laughed and grabbed my hand. Then he opened the door and we stepped back inside. Alice was standing by the counter grabbing plates and utensils. She looked at our clasped hands and grinned.

"I knew you'd be able to calm him down, Bella."

I looked at him and noted the serious expression was back. _Oh boy._ "We're not out of the woods yet, Alice."

He let go of my hand, pulled a chair out from under the table, and sat. Then he leaned forward, arms resting on the table, clasping his hands as he looked at his sister, and exhaled loudly. "What is she doing here?"

Alice opened a cabinet and pulled out some glasses. "I invited her. I told you that already."

"But how did she get here so fast?" He looked down, a puzzled expression on his face as he tried to process the timeframe and then his head suddenly snapped up. "Alice, when you said you were waiting for me, you couldn't have known…"

She walked to another cabinet and pulled out some napkins. "I know a lot of things, Edward, so yes, I could have, but one thing at a time. She was at the ranch. That's only twenty minutes away."

"What was she-"

Alice slapped her hand on the counter. "Enough! She's here, so deal with it! Save your questions for her. Let her say her piece over breakfast and be done with it. We don't have time to waste: I've got stuff to do. After you went to bed, I started looking into what's going on in San Francisco and I need to follow up on that and get started on the flash drive." She walked over to him and put the plates with the napkins and utensils piled on top on the table in front of him. "Now, get up, grab these for me and get your ass in there," she said. Then she took the mug from my hand. "You! Quit shuffling around and go use the restroom already. And fix that rat's nest on your head."

I had the feeling I was going to have to get used to Alice sharing too much of my information. _Yeesh._ I was instantly doubly mortified, but it's not like I hadn't basically told Edward the same thing a few minutes ago. I grabbed my head. "Rat's nest?"

She winked. "Just kidding. Go. We'll be in the dining room."

"Okay, okay," I said. "Start without me; don't let the food get cold." I was walking past Edward when I felt a tug on my shirt. "Hey," he whispered. I stopped and leaned in. "Don't change."

"Edward, I look like a schmoe."

He stood and grabbed the plates.

"Yes, but an adorable schmoe wearing one of my favorite shirts, and right now, you have no idea how much that helps." He gestured toward the dining room with his eyes. "Hurry back."

I turned and dashed to the bathroom. I quickly took care of business, washed my hands, and then willed myself to look in the mirror. My hair was sticking up a bit, but not as a badly as it typically did. The gel, or whatever goop Irina had put in it, kept it together pretty nicely. I washed my face, ran my fingers through my hair to smooth it down, and then took a deep breath, steadying myself for the next Edward Cullen history lesson.

I could hear the sound of plates and silverware coming from the dining room as I made my way back down the hall. They were seated at the table, Edward and his mom looking very uncomfortable.

Then he met my gaze and his stiff expression softened infinitesimally. He gestured to the chair next to him and I quickly joined them.

Seeing Edward's actions, the women turned to look at me. Alice smiled. "There she is. Bella, this is our mother, Esme Cullen. Mom, this is Edward's friend, Bella Swan."

Esme had a rather regal look to her; it was evident in the way she dressed and how she carried herself. It was also clear that she was off-balance in this tense situation. Her eyes were wary as she looked at me. I reached out and extended my hand. "Hi. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen."

She smiled and took my hand. "Nice to meet you too, Bella. Please, call me Esme."

I looked at Edward who was watching the exchange carefully as I sat down next to him.

As an orphan, somewhat, I'd spent many a holiday as a guest at family get-togethers. It was interesting watching each family's dynamic as I typically sat quietly listening to the boisterous banter between family members.

_This _was nothing like any of those times. The silence was deafening.

"_Someone tell a joke,"_ a little Italian man's voice said in my head.

Alice lifted the plate full of pancakes and handed it to Edward. "Please pass these to Bella."

My stomach was nervous and I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to eat as I absorbed the tension. I took a pancake, plopped it on my plate, and then grabbed the syrup. Noting Alice's frown, I said, "I'll start with one and go from there."

Edward was just pushing pieces of his cut-up pancakes around. Taking a sip of my juice, I cleared my throat and said to Esme, "Alice says you were at the ranch? Do you have horses?"

Alice looked relieved and a little thankful for my attempt at conversation. Esme smiled and softly said, "She meant Fairbanks Ranch. That's a section of San Diego, just a little inland from here. But yes, I do have a few horses."

"Do you ride?"

She nodded. "I do." She looked at Alice, and then at Edward. "The whole family took lessons a long time ago. We used to go riding quite often when we lived out East."

Edward dropped his fork with a loud clank. "Speaking of happy family memories, is he here too?"

She shifted her gaze to him and she sat up straighter. "No, I'm on my own."

"There's a surprise," he muttered. "You've gotten daring in your old age, huh? Mighty brave of you to leave his side."

"Edward…" Alice warned.

I put my fork down. "I should leave you all alone."

Suddenly his hand was my arm. "No, I need you here. Please."

I felt uncomfortable. Esme took in the gesture and just nodded.

She sighed. "Edward, what do you want me to say? I can't change the past. He was my husband."

"And I was your son."

"Yes, and like me, when push came to shove, you sided with your spouse. Sometimes we have to make a choice. I hope for your sake that you're never forced to do the same."

He glared at her. "Did you even try to fight for me?"

"She was after the money. We told you that from the first moment you brought her to the house," she said, steadily. "Look, I don't want to rehash all of that…but you know we were right. You see how that turned out. "

"So I deserved imprisonment for my wrong choice?"

"Don't put words in my mouth," she snapped.

He slammed his hands on the table and leaned forward. "Then why don't you put some in your own mouth? Words that might explain how you could be so vindictive about my choosing her that you couldn't be bothered to help me when it all went south!"

"You know his perspective. He needed to stay out of it."

He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and looked away from everyone. "Because his damn career was more important than his family."

She sighed. "Carlisle always had a strong sense of fairness and justice. He held everyone to that ideal, especially himself. It was one of the reasons why I fell in love with him…and why I'm not with him now."

His head whipped back as he stared at her. "What?"

"I left him, Edward."

"When?"

"About two years ago."

"You're divorced?" he asked, incredulously.

"No." She took a sip of her coffee and then put it down. "Just separated. I divide my time between the Seacliff house up North, and my place down here at the Ranch. He's still hoping we can work it out, but he knows what it will take for that to happen."

"Which is?"

"To do what I'm trying to do now," she said gently. "Reach out to you and try to build a new relationship."

Edward's mouth dropped open. Then he closed it and his eyes narrowed as his expression contorted with his fury. "When Carlisle spends years in prison for murders he didn't commit, then maybe we can 'bond.' Let him lose everything he has and see how he feels."

Esme's brought her hand to her mouth and looked down. Alice's eyes were sad as she said, "Oh, Edward."

I reached over quickly and grabbed his hand. He looked at me and then closed his eyes as he squeezed my hand, then put his other elbow on the table and covered his mouth. He was silent for a few moments before he ran his fingers though his hair and said, "Obviously, I don't wish that on anyone," then he looked at his mother, "but I'm not interested in starting a new relationship right now."

"Edward, Alice told me a little of what's going on," Esme said. "Carlisle might be one of the best people to turn to-"

He cut her off. "He didn't help before," he said angrily.

"Things are different now. I think he would."

This was news to me. "How can Mr. Cullen help?"

Esme smiled. "Carlisle is with the FBI. He's in charge of the San Francisco bureau."

"What?" I whispered, and turned to Edward. "Your dad is with the FBI? Why didn't we go there first?"

"I had no reason to believe he'd help. AND, he's the last person I'd ask," he spat.

"But he-"

"HE turned me in, Bella. When it looked like I was going to be indicted, I borrowed a cabin in Tahoe from a family friend. I wasn't running away; I just wanted some time to think, away from everyone." He stared at his mother and sister. "HE showed up with the police to take me in." Edward shook his head and after a moment of silence he asked, "So are you here on his behalf?"

"No, I'm here on mine," Esme said firmly. "You wouldn't see me when I tried to visit you in Folsom, and I respected your wishes and stayed away, but now you need help and I want you to know you can count on me for anything."

"Oh, I can count on you now? How do I know you won't abandon me the next time you disapprove of someone I'm seeing?"

She glanced at me and then back to him, shaking her head. "That won't happen."

"Right," he said sarcastically, and then stood suddenly. "Next you'll try to sell me the Golden Gate Bridge. I've heard enough. We're done here." He backed away from the table and started walking out of the room.

"Edward, how do you think you got your job at KFOG?" Alice blurted.

He stopped in his tracks and slowly turned. "What?"

She turned and looked at him. "You heard me."

He looked at her warily. "Eleazar got me in," he said evenly.

Esme's back was to him as she spoke. "Eleazar got the credit so he'd get the finder's bonus." Then she turned to face him. "But I'm the one who pulled some strings to get you seen by the higher-ups."

He shook his head. "That can't be…"

"I asked them not to say anything. I knew you wouldn't accept the job if you knew."

His face wore an expression of bewilderment as he processed this newest information. Then Alice dropped the bomb.

"How do you think you got out of prison?" she asked quietly.

His eyes widened. "No… I thought…"

"Who do you think found the information that got you out? That was me…well, us. Mom used her connections to get information from former hospital staff members, and I hacked around enough to find the video footage from the night of the murders."

He remained frozen, his shock immobilizing him.

Esme carefully rose from her seat. "We've been on your side for years, Edward, whether you wanted us there or not." She took a step toward him. "Please son, let me-"

He shook his head and held out his hand. "No. This is too much. I can't… I… fuck..."

He turned and walked quickly from the room. Seconds later, we heard a door slam somewhere down the hall.

Alice stood and touched her mother's arm. "Let me talk to him." Then she hurried out.

Esme stood in place and then slowly turned to face me, smiling sadly. "Well, so much for my attempt at a joyful reunion." She grabbed her plate and then picked up Alice's. "I think family breakfast is over," she said, taking her coffee mug as well.

That was for sure. I'd managed to eat about three-quarters of my pancake but couldn't stomach more right then. I nodded and stood, taking Edward's plate along with mine, and followed her into the kitchen. Silently, we worked together: I tossed the remaining food in the garbage and handed the dishes to her, and then she rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher. After we were done, she poured herself another cup of coffee, and gestured to me with the pot.

I was wired enough from the conversation and didn't need the extra caffeine to make me more nervous. I shook my head and she put it back.

"What a mess," she said with a sigh. Raising her mug in salute, she said, "Some way to meet the family, huh? I hope this doesn't scare you off." She peered at me over her mug.

_Scare me off?_ I looked at her in confusion.

She walked over to the back door and looked out the window. "I would hate for you to decide you don't want to be with him because of us."

All these cryptic statements were confusing as hell. Everyone was talking about us as if we were dating but he'd only ever referred to me as his friend. I scoffed. "Look, I don't know what you think is going on, but I'd say it's more likely that he'd decide to opt out of anything with me than vice-versa. My life is a mess."

She looked over her shoulder and smiled. "He's not going anywhere." She opened the door. "Would you join me?" I nodded and followed her outside.

We stood side by side on the small patio just off the back door, looking out at Alice's backyard.

She took a deep breath. "My husband isn't a bad man, Bella. He was once a great father and husband, and a wonderful protector and role model for Edward. He was Edward's troop master in the Boy Scouts. "Always prepare for the Spanish Inquisition, Edward," she said in a deep voice, imitating her husband.

I smiled. "I think the line is actually: 'Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.'"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I know. But Carlisle changed it to make it the 'Cullen code,'" she said. "It's better than "Be Prepared," don't you think?" She sighed. "And he lived by this code. We always had a gun in the house, just in case." She frowned. "Ironically, he was the one who taught Edward to shoot, which is why he was so quick to believe Edward could have shot Tanya and James.

"My husband has a very black-and-white view of the world. Things are either wrong or right. There's no gray area in-between. When it comes to stopping crime, it's served him well, but his rigid moral code got the best of him when it came to his family." She ran a hand through her hair. "I miss the old Carlisle. He had a great sense of humor. He was once my best friend," she said, wistfully. "You know, you and Edward remind me of the two of us back in our youth. I mean, the relationship you've built."

I took a deep breath. "Forgive me for saying this, but I don't know if that's a good thing considering where you two are now."

She shook her head. "You won't end up like us, Bella. You don't need him like I needed Carlisle, and that puts you on a more even playing field."

_Oh, lady, you are SO wrong._ "Actually," I said quietly, "I need him very much. He helped me get out of San Francisco."

"I mean you don't need him for ego validation. You're much different than I was. You're a very solid young woman."

"With all due respect, Mrs. Cullen-"

"Esme, please."

"Esme, you just met me."

"That doesn't mean I can't see the kind of person you are and what you've built with him. You're good for him. You calm him."

_That's what Kate said. What was he like before?_

She kept talking, answering my unasked question. "He was so crazy with Tanya, always trying to please her. Always on edge." She shook her head bitterly. Then her expression softened. "He doesn't have to act that way with you. With you, he can just…be."

"What gives you that impression? He and I barely spoke in there; most of his interactions were with you and Alice."

She smiled sheepishly. "I was watching you two out here earlier and I've heard him speak with you on many occasions on his show. I've been dying to meet you."

_Oh God, nosiness is a family trait._

"He has strong feelings for you, Bella. They're the right kind of feelings for the right kind of woman. And I'm so glad."

I splayed my hands out in front of me. "Hold it. You haven't seen him in what…eight, nine years? You hardly know him-"

She chuckled. "I can still see a man falling in love," she said, taking a sip of her coffee.

My body went numb. _Wha? Why is everyone other than Edward telling me how he feels?_

I willed myself to calm down. "Esme, we only met in person a few days ago. I think you have it wrong."

She gazed at me. "Do I? Hmm." She glanced back at the house and smiled sadly. "Bella, if he needs it, he can always access the Platt money…at any time." She looked at me. "Make sure he knows that, okay?"

"The Platt money?"

"My family inheritance."

_Oh my God. How rich are these people?_ I suddenly realized something. "Your maiden name isn't Masen?"

"No, it's Platt."

"Then, why was he going by Tony Masen?"

She shrugged. "Alice said Masen was an idea from one of his prison friends. Anthony is his real middle name." She looked at her watch. "All right, I think I'll be going. She reached into her pants pocket, pulled out a card, and handed it to me. "Look, this is Carlisle's contact information. Edward won't want to use it but, well, you never know." She stepped closer and reached for my hand. Clasping it, she said. "I wish we'd met under better circumstances Bella. I really do hope to see you again." Then she backed away, moved to the door, opened it, and looked back at me. "Take care of each other," she said quietly. Then she went inside.

I stood there for another few minutes trying to clear my head. The coastal fog was finally lifting and I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. _What was all that?_ With my head still jumbled, I decided to make myself useful and clean up.

The house was eerily silent when I went inside. When I was through in the dining room and kitchen, I walked by the playroom and listened at the door, but it was relatively quiet and I decided to take a shower.

_What a mess,_ I thought, echoing Esme's earlier sentiment. As I stood under the hot water, I tried to process all this new information. It was a lot to take in over the course of one day.

_On a stormy sea of moving emotion…_

Poor Edward. For a guy who'd protected himself from getting close to anyone for so long, he was probably more overwhelmed than I was. His history felt worse than mine. Cheating wife murdered. A father who turned his back on him. And then to learn that his sister and mother had been there all along when he'd thought he was alone.

_Tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean…_

I turned off the water and grabbed a towel. As I stepped out of the shower, I heard music. My heart felt heavy as I realized it was the sound of the piano. At that moment, I decided he'd had enough alone time and I'd check in on him. I quickly dried off and threw on some jeans. As I reached into my bag for a new top, I thought about how he'd implied he got a sense of comfort when I wore his shirt. I put the Fleetwood Mac tee back on and tied it at the waist. I looked a little silly but if it helped him, I didn't care.

As I neared the playroom, I could make out the tune he was playing and couldn't help but smile. For some reason, when he said he'd played at various bars, I'd imagined classical music or blues, but not seventies. On the other hand, it made sense considering his love for the music; it probably brought him comfort. As quietly as possible, I opened the door and entered the room.

He was alone, his back to me as he sat at the piano. Hearing the door shut, he stopped playing immediately and stiffened.

"Don't stop," I said.

He visibly relaxed upon hearing my voice. "Is she still here?" he asked quietly.

"No, she left a while ago. Where's Alice?"

"She left about an hour and a half ago. She was only in here for about fifteen minutes to…clarify some things for me, and then she went to her lair to work her magic."

I slowly walked toward him. "You're playing. I don't have to ask how you're doing."

"I've had better days. It's crazy to suddenly find out that so much of what you'd taken as fact was wrong." He shook his head. "Though my eyes could see, I still was a blind man," he said, looking down at his lap.

I touched his shoulder gently and then leaned against the piano so I could see him as we spoke. Alice's wireless keyboard was on top of the piano, close to him.

"I know you're hurt and angry, and you have a right to be. I'm so sorry for what happened to you." I looked down at my hands, hoping my next words wouldn't set him off, but I felt compelled to say them. "I know it's probably too soon to think about this, but I do hope that you'll be able to forgive them some day. Life's too short to hang on to that anger." I looked at him. "Well, it's just too short in general."

He looked up quickly and his eyes were angry. Then he looked at my shirt and his expression relaxed a little.

"Anyway," I continued, "I'm here if you want to talk about it. I also understand if you don't."

He nodded once with a sad smile on his face. Then he sighed and he looked at his hands as he put them back on the keys. His eyes met mine briefly as he began playing the piano segment of Kansas's 'Carry on Wayward Son.'

I was puzzled as he played the repeated piano segment from the beginning. "That sounds different than in the real song."

"Yeah. In the recorded version, the tempo increases on the repeat, but not by very much. There's also a tiny moment when the instruments are not quite together, which may be what throws you too. It feels like more of an increase because the bass line and drums add a sense of urgency." He looked a little surprised. "It's funny that you picked that up."

"I told you, it's one of my favorite songs. I've listened to it a lot."

He shook his head. "I can't believe that after eight months, I didn't know that."

"Gosh, we don't know that much about each other. Up until Sunday, we kept it pretty superficial, no?"

He snorted. "Well, you sure as hell know everything about me now. God, what a way to find out!"

"You mean this isn't the way normal people get to know each other?" I asked wryly.

He smiled shyly as he transitioned to Kansas's Dust in the Wind. "So, now you know my past and present, but I don't know yours." He glanced at me. "Seems a little uneven, don't you think?"

"Maybe. But you know the big-ticket items. My parents were murdered. I'm twenty-six and divorced. I went to Dartmouth for undergrad and Harvard for grad school. And I'm on the run. I have no secrets, Edward."

"I don't know about that. You've kept those top five songs a pretty closely-guarded secret. I can only imagine what else you've hidden," he teased. Then he got serious. "Still, I feel like I don't know enough about you and I'd like to rectify the situation."

There wasn't much. This was going to be a short conversation. "Just ask." I said with a shrug.

"All right…" He bit his lip and then looked up. "Well then, who's Tyler?"

* * *

**A/N2: Hmm. How does Edward know about Tyler?**

**Bella isn't happy with that question. And Edward doesn't like the answer. Oooh. Stay tuned. **

**Please review. (I actually reply!)**

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from Kansas's Carry on Wayward Son and lines from Moonstruck and Monty Python's Flying Circus._

_Regarding Kansas:_

_- Edward's explanation at the piano is a direct quote from __**philadelphic**__, who was quite helpful when I asked her if my ears were playing tricks on me in that segment of the song. She took a metronome out and everything!_

_- Dust in the Wind is actually Kansas's only top ten US hit. Other than that, I don't have any Kansas facts to share with you except for this funny one: the lead vocalist, Steve Walsh, was actually from Missouri. The rest of the original band members were indeed from Kansas. _


	17. Foreigner

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: About two weeks ago, cosmogirl7481 was a tweeting maniac about this story and I know many of you found the story because of her. Thank you to Cosmo and anyone else talking about it._

_Okay, there are a lot of bands discussed in this chapter, but only one song really matters right now..._

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**Foreigner: Feels Like the First Time**

**#**

"_Who's Tyler?" How the hell does he know about Tyler?_ I wondered as I churned through the possibilities.

He said he'd gotten my address from our NSAR-SF applications. Had _he_ followed _me_ over the past few weeks and seen me with Tyler? That would be creepy…

"_Yeah, right," _my snarky inner-self snorted,_ "because following him and breaking into his apartment was the epitome of respecting boundaries."_

Okaay…Oh! Crap, had I been talking in my sleep again? Wouldn't that be something? In bed with Edward and I call out another guy's name?

My snarky inner-self shouted again, "_If you were actually in bed together doing something other than sleeping, I _seriously_ doubt that would happen, Bella."_

I quickly pushed THAT unhelpful thought out of my head and refocused. Why would I be talking about Tyler? Every time I'd slept over the past few days, I'd dreamt of Tony/Edward.

His voice snapped me out of my mental back-and-forth. "You look like you're trying to solve a calculus equation again, darlin'. I didn't think it was a complicated question."

I blinked. "Um, it isn't. I was just trying to figure out how you would have heard about him."

"I have my ways."

I made a face. "I thought we were past the evasiveness part of our relationship."

"I thought so too," he said as he started playing the piano again, "but I'm not the one who hasn't answered the question yet."

"Oh, sorry. You just surprised me. Of all the possible topics you could start with, I didn't think that would be the first."

"I didn't know there was a set order I was supposed to follow."

"There isn't," I affirmed.

"Still waiting," he said with a smirk, looking down at the keys as he played.

"_Who's Tyler?" What do I say about him?_ Tyler was smart. Sweet. Fun. Attentive. Very attractive. In short, he was everything a girl could want in a guy.

_But he's not you, Edward._

He didn't need any of that information, and I certainly wasn't going to tell him. I shrugged. "He's a friend."

He paused his playing and looked at me.

"A friend? Like I am?"

_No one is like you, mister. _

"Not exactly. We hung out a couple of times…" I said, trailing off.

"Hung out," he repeated, the words coming out as part question, part statement.

He stared at me as if he expected more information, but I wasn't going to kiss and tell. I nodded and could feel my cheeks warming as I stared back. Then he pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows, taking a big breath and exhaling slowly. Running his fingers through his hair, he looked down. "Okay. Let's move on." He looked at me again, his expression a bit softer. "Your parents were murdered?"

Oddly enough, this was a much easier topic for me, considering the kind of information I'd learned about him over the past day. "Yes, in a convenience store robbery gone wrong. I was there, in the back of the store. We were on vacation in Florida."

"So you were stuck there alone? How did you get home?"

"My dad's mom and her best friend flew out from Phoenix to get me. I went back with Grams and then she and Mr. Aro – that was her friend – managed my parents' affairs. My mom was an only child too, and her parents were gone. So I lived in Phoenix with Grams until I left for college."

"Was she the one who taught you all your superhero skills?"

I bit my lip. "Superhero," I repeated, then shook my head. "My dad was the Chief of Police in Forks, and Mom taught self-defense and yoga. So, some things I learned from them. Grams was a human lie detector. She taught me how to listen and watch people in order to read them. Oh, and how to play poker. The rest I learned from Mr. Aro."

"Your grandmother's friend?"

"Yes. He was her neighbor too." I smiled wistfully, remembering how much fun I used to have with him before he turned on me. "He taught me how to stay off the grid, pick locks, tail someone, hustle pool, hotwire old cars, break into new ones, and shoot a gun. Well, Dad actually taught me to shoot first, but Mr. Aro really taught me what I know now."

Edward's eyes widened in surprise. "Was your grandmother nuts? Why would she let a teenage girl hang around with a man who'd teach her those things?"

"Oh, he taught me some of that stuff when I was much younger than that, but what could she do? Her only son was killed and his only daughter, already a bit of a social misfit, could have easily retreated even further into her shell. We were lucky to have him around. Imagine how fun and powerful it was for a teenaged-girl whose parents were just killed, to learn how to out-crook the crooks. He got me out of burying myself in books and schoolwork, listening to my parent's old albums, and doing the volunteer work with Grams. I was old before my time. He was a blessing in disguise, although Grams used to yell at him about it. "_Aro Curvato, don't you teach my granddaughter more of your sneaky criminal ways!"_ I said, imitating Grams' voice.

"Hold it. This guy's last name was Curvato?"

I smiled and nodded.

He frowned. "I'm rusty on the Romance languages, but doesn't _curvato_ mean 'bent' or 'crooked?' So his name was Arrow Crooked… seriously: _Crooked Arrow_?"

"His first name was spelled 'A-R-O' but yeah, basically. Funny, though, huh?"

"Was it an alias or something? I mean, with all those things he taught you…what did he do for a living?"

I sighed. "Before he lived next door to Grams, he'd been a salesman, and did a lot of work overseas. Afterward, he 'dabbled' in a bunch of things," I said, quietly. _Dabbled. Yeah. Dabble _this_, Aro._

Edward shook his head. "His parents had some sense of humor. Or they were just cruel. Go on."

"Well, I graduated at sixteen and was headed to Dartmouth in the fall when Grams had a stroke and was severely incapacitated. I deferred college to stay and care for her."

"Aro couldn't help her?"

"I couldn't ask him to do that. His wife had developed cancer a few months before, and he was dealing with that. Grams didn't want me to stay, but I did, and watched her deteriorate even further over the next two years," I said sadly. "It was awful to watch this vibrant woman wither away, but I was glad for the time I had with her. The summer before I turned nineteen, she died."

I sighed. "Grams died in mid-July. I was actually glad she died when she did, because she wasn't around to see what happened next. I was contacted by the bank and they told me that the new tenants wanted to move in by the beginning of September. I went to Aro, who'd been given Power of Attorney for Grams when my Dad died. That's when he dropped a huge bombshell."

"What?"

"It turns out that he'd convinced Grams to invest in some real estate development a few years before. It was going well until 2001, when the economy really tanked. By the middle of 2002, they'd lost it all, and she'd taken out a loan using the house as collateral. In order to cover their debts, Aro sold the house to pay off her part."

"_It was business, Isabella," he'd said to me. "It had to be done."_

"_Business? You're not 'The Godfather!'" I shouted. "What am I supposed to do now?"_

_Aro's calm demeanor never wavered, and I was shocked by his callousness. "Call up the school and go. You weren't going to stay here anyway. It's all for the best."_

_I got up and stormed out of his house. "She would have hated you for doing this to me, Aro. I'm glad she's not alive to see it. Some friend you turned out to be."_

"Anyway," I continued, "I left and never looked back."

"So you're not in touch with him anymore?"

"Not after he stole our house and effectively kicked me out. I felt so betrayed; I'd just lost the only relative I had left and then he did that." I snorted. "He sends me a Christmas card every year, but I just toss it."

"And that was eight years ago?"

"Yes."

"God, you were only eighteen." He cocked his head. "Seems that we both could use some work on forgiving people, huh?"

I took a big calming breath and held it as I looked up at the ceiling, then back at him as I exhaled slowly and nodded in return. "Yes, we could."

We stared at each other for a moment and then he sat up straighter as if to shake off the gloom. "Okay, enough seriousness; let's go on to something fun." He scooted over a little. "Come over here," he said, patting the bench next to him. "Tell me your top five."

Suddenly I was nervous. I could easily relate details about the loss of my parents and my grandmother, because I'd done it before with Jasper and my friends. But this was entirely different. For some reason, it felt so personal, like I was revealing something intimate about myself. I could feel my stupid blush as I sat down next to him and I dropped my head, and tried the old trick of hiding behind my hair, but unfortunately, I didn't have the same amount of hair as I had before.

"Hey," he said, gently tucking my hair behind my ear so he could see me. His fingers were hot against my skin and I looked up at him. He had a half-amused, half-puzzled look on his face. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, I-I've just never told anyone my list before. Not that anyone cares, you know?"

"I do."

I looked down again. "Well, I've thought about this a lot since the night we first discussed it. Four were no-brainers. The fifth, I really struggled with. I wanted to put _Stairway to Heaven_ there, but I just couldn't. I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"It tends to be one of THE songs from the seventies on _everyone's_ top-five, and I felt like I should acknowledge it, you know? Plus, it's one of _your_ top five. "

He frowned. "What? How do you know that? I've never told anyone my list either."

I smirked. "I know. But I'm pretty sure I know your list anyway, or at least most of it."

"How-" He stopped himself and narrowed his eyes. "I know what you're trying to do; you're trying to turn it back to me. We're talking about YOU. So," he prompted, "four were no-brainers…?"

"There was a clear number one. Two, three and four are tied. The fifth is purely sentimental."

"Hmm. I'm intrigued. Okay, let's start with your sentimental pick."

"_Band on the Run_."

"Really?"

"Yes. Mom loved Wings. And Dad was a cop. He used to say that he'd be able to find that band."

He placed his hands on the keys and played the beginning. "That's actually sweet. What's your three-way tie?"

"Since I love them all, they're really interchangeable: _Freebird,_ _Bohemian Rhapsody_, and _Carry on Wayward Son_."

He stopped playing immediately and looked amused.

"What?" I asked.

"This is really interesting. Skynyrd, Queen, and Kansas. I would never think of them as interchangeable."

"Well, I just can't say that one tops the others," I explained. "When any of them comes on the radio, I'm excited to hear it. I think of them as my 'desert island songs.'"

"Fascinating…" he trailed off. "I'm just dying to hear your top song."

I looked down and took a deep breath. "It's _Layla_." I glanced back up at him and he was grinning. "What now?" I asked.

"There's a strange method to your madness."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there are two major similarities among all those songs." He started playing the opening to Freebird.

"Similarities? They all seem very different to me."

"Well, for one, they all have a soft, slow part and also a hard and fast part, with _Band on the Run_ having the least amount of hard and fast. But that middle part is still harder than the beginning and end." He smirked and gave me a devilish little side-glance as he continued playing. "Seems like you enjoy it both ways, huh?"

_Oh jeez, Mr. Innuendo is back._ My cheeks flamed.

"Hmm, I think I might be onto something, darlin'," he said, winking at me. "Anyway, the second similarity is the theme of each song." He paused. "Don't you think it is ironic I was the one in prison and all five of your top songs are in some way about escaping or running away? I'm surprised that _Renegade_ isn't on that list."

I quickly recounted the lyrics of the five songs. Huh, that was a very interesting observation, but I didn't think that was why I liked them. _Because if it is girl, you are going to be in therapy with Jasper for __years__._

"Okay," I admitted, "A) I like _Renegade_ a lot, but I'm not sure I'd put it in the top five, and B) they're not all about running away. What about _Layla_?"

"What are you talking about? He's wondering when she's finally gonna stop running from him! That's the entire song."

"But don't you think she changes her mind at the transition? That's what I see in my head when I listen. The whole back half of the song sounds like they're together to me."

He stared at me for a moment and then turned to the keys and played the instrumental part.

I nodded. "Can't you hear it? At that moment, I see her showing up in his doorway and then, well, they're together in a big way."

"What else do you see when you hear that?" he asked quietly.

I closed my eyes and listened to him playing. The imagery was immediate. I saw her admitting her feelings too and then their kisses rapidly turn heated, passionate and then calm. They were making love.

My face gave it away instantly, even though I said nothing. "Ah," he said, "I see…" I opened my eyes and found him looking at me and then back down at the keys as he played. "I think I agree with you. They're together. _All night long_."

He dragged out those last three words and suddenly the images in my head weren't of an unknown man and woman. I was hyper-aware of the heat radiating off of him and his proximity. I cleared my throat and sat up straighter, needing to get some distance from these visuals. "Well, if my songs say this about me, what do yours say about you?"

He stopped playing immediately and turned to face me, crossing his arms. "Okay, lay them on me, Ms. Smartypants."

I smiled, relaxing a little. "Well, so of course I could be completely wrong about this, but I'm guessing that the five you'd choose would come from your favorite bands."

"Which are?"

"Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Eagles, and Foreigner." His mouth dropped open. I grinned. "How am I doing so far?"

"How did you know those were my bands?"

"I've had the benefit of listening to you even when I wasn't talking to you, Edward. I paid attention. We know Aerosmith is definitely one of your top five. The rest came out in how you phrased your trivia segments, and what you and I talked about offline…"

_~#~_

"_Yeah," I said, as we spoke into the wee morning hours, "but Foreigner is one of those bands that were successful in the seventies and the eighties. Unlike some others where I prefer their earlier stuff over the latter, or vice versa, this is one band that had great stuff in both decades. In my opinion."_

"_Oh, I agree completely," he said. "My favorite song of theirs is from the seventies, although '4' was their top album, and that was released in '81."_

"_Didn't you say that Mick Jones played with Harrison and Frampton before he formed Foreigner?"_

"_Yeah, like two months ago," he chuckled. "He's a talented guy and the only one to play on every Foreigner album..." _

_~#~_

"Unbelievable," he muttered. "Okay," he said, "you got the bands. Now tell me the songs."

I squinted and pursed my lips. "For Aerosmith, I think it's _Dream On_. Zeppelin has to be _Stairway to Heaven_. For Eagles I'm going with _Take It to the Limit_. Pink Floyd's gotta be _Comfortably Numb_. And Foreigner…well that's the tricky one, because if we're going by patterns, this one doesn't fit. The four I named are basically slower songs in general, although _Stairway_ and _Dream On_ have a bit of the hard edge near the end. The Foreigner song is powerful all the way through, including the refrain."

"Which is?"

"_Double Vision_. Now that I know your story, it makes me think of how you must have felt that first year out of Folsom. Just wanting to live on the edge." I paused. "Did I get any right?"

His expression went from surprise to awe. "You're fucking amazing," he whispered.

I smiled and shrugged. "I told you: I paid attention."

"Do you have a photographic memory?"

"Not really. Well, not for everything. I've found that when I'm emotionally connected to a person or event, I remember it all with perfect clarity."

He smiled slowly. "So you're emotionally connected to me?"

_Yikes! I just admitted that, didn't I?_ I tried to cover. "Well, yes, Edward. I'd say so. I'm emotionally connected to all my friends."

His expression instantly became serious. "Ah, so that would mean you remember everything about your friend Tyler as well, huh?"

I stiffened and suddenly stood up and stepped away from him, rubbing my face with both hands. With my back to him, I sighed. "Are we back on that?"

"It seems that we are."

"But why?"

"Your answer was less than satisfying."

"What do you mean? I told you, he's a friend."

"Yeah," he muttered, "he looked _friendly_."

_Looked?_ I whirled around to face him.

"Did you follow me?"

"I don't have your special spy skills, sweetheart," he said sarcastically.

"Then how-" It suddenly hit me as my eyes darted to Alice's wireless keyboard. _NO!_

I dashed over and grabbed the keyboard off the piano. My heart was pounding as I pressed the space key and turned to face the big-screen TV. It fired up instantly and there on the screen was a photo of me and Tyler walking with our bikes off of the ferry from Tiberon. It was clear it came from the cameras at the dock; the time and date stamp showed up in the corner.

All the nerves in my body momentarily went numb. Alice had pictures of me. She probably had a whole freaking file! I was instantly pissed-off. This felt as intrusive as Jasper purposely listening to us on the radio so he could find out what I'd been up to. No. Not. Even. Close.

"He's a good-looking guy," I heard him say quietly.

I whirled around and glared at him. "Yes, he is." I said icily. Then I exploded. "What the hell, Edward? I don't know what's worse: that Alice has photos of me or that she showed them to you and you looked. Does she have photos and recordings of me with Jasper too?" I asked furiously.

"Who the fuck is Jasper?" he demanded.

"Oh, so she left that part out?" I stomped over to him. "Did she just volunteer this information, or did you ask about me?" I hissed.

"I asked," he said unabashedly. "I came back in here after the disaster in the dining room and she tried to talk to me about our mother. I just tuned her out. I told her if she wanted to help me, she could tell me about you. At first she refused, saying I should ask you, but then she gave in right before she left."

I turned, and clicked the keyboard to minimize the photo. I saw more files: Resumé. Transcripts. Photos. I maximized the photo again.

I turned back to face him. "You already knew what I told you about my parents, didn't you?"

"I knew about the incident, but not the details after-"

I stopped him. "Why did you go to her for this? Normal people ask; they don't go to their spy sister to tell them these things!"

He ran his hand through his hair and groaned. "Bella, is there anything about us that has been normal so far? I wanted to know more about you and steer clear of potentially sensitive topics, so I asked her what else she knew. I kind of stalled when I came upon… THAT," he spat, pointing at the picture on the screen.

It suddenly hit me. _Holy shit, I think I might have a green-eyed monster on my hands._

"Wait, you're not… you can't be… jealous?"

"I have no right to be…"

I put my hands on my hips and glared at him. "Damn right you don't!"

"And yet, somehow, I am. I think of you as _my_ Bella, and no one else's."

"_Your_ Bella?" I scoffed. "Are you kidding me? After I had to deal with not one, but two, of your former...fuck buddies…" I said, trying not to stumble over the words, "in person, you're upset about _him_?"

His eyes widened in shock over my use of profanity. Then he narrowed his eyes. "They're just friends and they're in the past," he said in a low voice.

"Oh, yeah, the lip-lock you were in with BOTH of them not five feet away from ME was quite the friendly gesture." I pointed at the TV. "May I remind you that you denied knowing me in the garage before THAT happened? You wanted nothing to do with me. Now for the past day, I've heard from everyone and their brother about how I've changed you. How I'm good for you. How you have feelings for me. Hell, I've even heard it from the mother who hasn't seen you for years. But what have I heard from you, _friend_? Well…that's it…_friend_."

"Here's a thought: If the notion of me seeing someone else bothered you so much, or was holding you back, you could have tried, oh, I don't know, asking me something like, 'Hey Bella, are you seeing anyone seriously?'"

He swiveled on the piano bench to face me. "Well then, Bella, are you seeing anyone seriously?"

"No. Not yet." I walked toward the TV screen and pointed. "But at least with HIM, I know where I stand. So you want your "_satisfying"_ answer? Fine. He's done more than hold my hand, _friend_. He kissed me. He's been very clear about wanting to get to know me, about wanting more. He-"

Edward stopped me. "I can fake impassivity and disinterest with the best of them, darlin', but I can assure you that with you it was just that: an act. Quite honestly, I'm tired of holding back. You know the real me…and I most certainly know the real you."

"Getting information from your sister doesn't count! That's cheating."

He shook his head. "I told you before that I never said I played fair…certainly not where you're concerned. I'll do everything in my power to make you forget your _friend _Tyler. And I can assure you, he'll never know you like I do."

"You just said that you felt like you really didn't know me."

"I don't know all the major events that shaped your life, but I know the little things that make you YOU." He took a deep breath, and exhaled, then looked away. "I know that you fell off your bike and broke your arm when you were seven, which is where that scar on your forearm comes from. I know you're extremely smart and from the sound of it, skipped a few grades. I know you love roller-coasters and can ride them non-stop. I know you love to read classic literature. I know you're a great cook and Italian food is your specialty. I know you have a video collection that you inherited from your parents, which means you watch those movies on a VCR…_their_ VCR, and and I'll bet you've kept it in mint condition. I know you had a fool of a husband who cheated on you."

He looked down at his hands. "You see, I heard everything you told me as well."

Suddenly he was on his feet, the piano bench scraping the floor with his sudden movement. His gaze was overwhelming. Kate's voice instantly popped into my head.

"_The way he looks at you when he knows you're not looking is definitely more than friendly, sweetie." _

And there it was. _The Look_. It was not impassive at all. He looked…well, shit, I'd never seen a look like that before. But it certainly wasn't tame.

"So this is about clarity, then, huh? He's been clear, and I haven't? All right. Let me give it a go."

I stared at him expectantly, wondering what was coming. _This ought to be interesting._

"I know that of all my regular listeners, it was your voice that haunted me night after night after we spoke. It wasn't just your intelligence that drew me in: it was everything…your inflection; your tone. I never stood a chance," he said. "You had me at 'Hi, this is Izzy from San Francisco.'"

My heart may have stopped beating at that moment, but somehow I was still alive and standing up, despite my shock. He took a step toward me and continued.

"I know that I thought you were beautiful from the first time I saw you, which _wasn't_ on the day of the garage attack. The first time was in Jake's garage when you came in to discuss your Vespa. I just didn't know it was you."

"Maybe you saw Nessie," I whispered.

"No, I was a client of the garage, remember? I saw Nessie a few times after that. It was you that first time: your lips, your wide brown eyes, your petite form. It was you."

"I know that I was god-awful to you in the garage that day and my punishment was your subsequent absence. It was torture. After the first week, I left hints in my dial-in segments for you to call, but you never did."

"I stopped listening," I admitted. "I was so hurt."

"And I missed you like crazy. I will never hurt you again, Bella. Never."

He took another step toward me, his eyes boring into mine. I immediately took a step back.

"I know what it takes to make you blush, and I look for ways to do it. And I'm dying to know whether that blush extends to other parts of your body," he said seductively. I instantly turned red, and his eyes raked down my body and then back up to my face. Then he licked his bottom lip, and smiled. "Yes, just like that."

_Holy Mary Mother of God._ When I said I wanted him to come clean, I hadn't expected this! I unconsciously stepped back again as he took another step toward me.

"I know what it feels like to touch your hand and your face, and I need you to acknowledge how much fucking restraint I have. Because truthfully, there are other parts of your body I'd rather touch."

_Jesus, Mary and Joseph._ Oh yeah, I needed all the saints to help me right now. We continued our dance; him stepping toward me, and me backing away.

"I know what you look like when you sleep next to me. You look adorable, sweet, and sexy all at the same time," he said with a smirk. "Sometimes you talk to me. I want to see you like that every night, lying next to me, sleeping by my side, all night long, and I also want to see you in my bed next to me…not sleeping - all night long."

My heart was beating wildly as I took in his startling erotic confessions. I realized I'd stopped breathing and took a deep breath. He continued to walk toward me as I backed up. Before I knew it, I was flush against the wall to the left of the TV. "I know what you look like when you're confused, sad, angry, and happy, and these last few days have finally let me connect your facial expressions to your tone. But there's one sound and one expression I haven't seen," he said as he now stood before me, about a foot away. He placed his hands on the wall on both sides of my head, leaning into me. "I want to hear you and see you…and feel you when I make you come."

My fingers scrabbled against the wall, looking for anything to hold onto. Finding nothing, I splayed my hands against the wall and held on for dear life.

He looked into my eyes and said, "Was that clear enough?"

_Oh, crystal._ I nodded.

He leaned in farther, his head dipping down so that he could nuzzle my neck. I instantly shivered under his touch, even though I was overheating. "Fuck, you smell good." he said.

"It's Alice's soap," I yelped.

I could feel his smile against my neck and jaw. "No, Bella, trust me. It's you."

I stayed still, waiting to see what he'd do next. He didn't disappoint. "You're mighty quiet," he said, his lips ghosting over my forehead. "No snappy comment for me?" He cocked his head, his nose touching mine, his lips inches away. I shook my head.

"So, darlin', I think I've been more than clear with where I stand and what I want. The question now, is what do you want?"

At that moment, I only wanted one thing and I blurted, "Just kiss me, Edw-"

~#~

I'd only kissed three guys in my life before this…and right then, I couldn't remember any of those kisses, let alone the names of the guys. This was like Superman's memory-sucking kiss.

For a second, my mind went blank the instant our lips touched. I actually stopped thinking due to shock, and then my mind and body exploded as I registered the feel of him and what it was doing to me.

_Ladies and gentlemen, we have toe-curling!_ Moreover, there were a whole buncha other things going on in parts north of my toes as well.

_And it feels like the first time, like it never did before…_

Lips. His lips were soft at first, barely making contact. Then they started moving, slowly, sensually, trying to coax me to move with him. No sooner did I catch on than his tongue joined the party…

_Feels like the first time, like we've opened up the door…_

Hands. Somewhere along the line, his hands had moved off the wall and held me close; one was on my back, while the other gripped my shoulder and slowly moved down my arm to my waist. I felt him fiddling there for moment and then he pulled me closer to him, causing my skin to burn.

_Feels like the first time…like it never will again, never again._

Body. Full body contact. Muscular, lean, hard. Oh my God - hard! His pelvis was pressed into me and his shorts did little to mask what was going on below his waist. And I will say this: it appeared that Edward did indeed have a pretty decent-sized boat. _Holy moly._

Everything felt so good! He moved his hands to my sides and his thumbs just grazed the sides of my breasts. I pulled him to me and ground my hips into him, wanting to feel; just feel.

"Bella," he whispered in between kisses, "Please…tell me…I'm not alone…tell me…you feel this too."

The statement hit me funny and I couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, I'm feeling it, all right, Edward."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know," I said seriously, "I guess you didn't catch me kissing you back and grinding against you," I said, reaching up and burying my hands in his hair as I pulled him closer to kiss me.

"Darlin'," he groaned against my lips, "we have to stop."

"No, no stop," I whispered, as I tried to kiss him more deeply.

"Sweetheart, you're really testing my control. I want you so badly, but this can't be our first time. I'm not going to fuck you against the wall in my sister's house."

I gasped as his words registered. I felt it everywhere. _Holy shit!_

He pulled back so he could look at me. Then he smiled. "You're really turned on by that, aren't you? Is it the idea of the act, or the dirty talk?"

_Whoa, I think it's both! _Of course, I didn't know how to admit that to him. Despite the lower halves of our bodies currently pressing into each other, I was still a little inhibited in that department.

"I don't know."

He kissed me again and then put his hand on my hips to stop me from rubbing up against his growing problem. "Not here, not now." He finally pushed away and I got a good look at him. His hair was sticking up from my out-of-control hair-gripping actions, and his shorts were…well, it was obvious what he was feeling.

He glanced down to where I was looking, and then back to me. "I'm going to need to take care of this before Alice gets home."

"She's home," came her musical voice.

We looked at the door and then back at each other. "Oh shit," he grimaced. I pointed to the couch and gestured for him to sit. He sat down and I tossed him a cushion to cover up the evidence.

"Can I come in yet?"

"Yeah, Alice," Edward muttered, "the coast is clear."

She opened the door warily and entered the room. Her eyes darted between us and she offered a small smile." I'm so glad you two have finally crossed the line. The tension between you two was driving me crazy." Then she got serious. "I'm sorry that I interrupted, but I just needed to get to you fast. I have some news, Bella."

My body went into alert mode again. Prefacing anything with "I have some news" usually wasn't good. "Tell me," I said quietly.

"They found Jake and Nessie."

* * *

**A/N2: Gah! A toe-curling, knee-buckling kiss (Finally!) and another freakin' cliffy (Boo!) **

**Thank you to the very busy Irritable Grizzzly, wonder beta. I don't know how she does it!**

**Please review.  
**

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from Foreigner's Feels Like the First Time. (This song has such energy and happiness in it, it really does capture the moment here… listen to it.)_

_Foreigner trivia: The band's name came from the fact that three of the original members were English and three were American when they formed in NYC in 1976. It was Brit Mick Jones' idea. Lou Gramm – the voice of Foreigner – was American._


	18. Thin Lizzy

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: Thank you to Ironic Twist and afoolishmortal for the recs in their recent chapters. And thank you to all of you continuing to spread the word about this story._

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**Thin Lizzy: The Boys Are Back in Town**

**#**

Over the years, I'd gotten pretty good at dealing with bad news. I believe my ability to cope started at the ripe old age of thirteen…the minute I stopped screaming in the back of that convenience store.

By the time the police confirmed my parents were dead, a general numbness had set upon me. They said it was shock, and perhaps it was. It felt as if I was hearing questions and my responses from far away, somewhere outside of my protective "shield," as I came to think of it that day. Oddly enough, only Mr. Aro was able to break through; he walked into the station ahead of Grams, and for some reason the look on his face was enough to instantly pull me out of my fog. I cried in his arms for the next hour…just as I did five and a half years later when I knocked on his door to let him know Grams had finally passed.

It was therefore kind of ironic that no less than a month after Grams' death, I was at the receiving end of his cold attitude as he sent me packing from my home, making me use my shield against him. I wasn't in a fog, but rather hyperaware of everything, and more able to take action and move quickly.

This came in handy when I caught Mike cheating and as I suffered through divorcing the miserable little weasel and leaving town soon after. And it had certainly been useful over the past few days as I made it not only through the attack at the house and our subsequent escape from San Francisco, but all the weird revelations about Edward and his past. Jasper could call me out all he wanted for protecting myself, but that "bubble wrap," or "shield," or whatever the hell you wanted to call it, kept me alive and thinking rationally when the shit hit the fan.

Yeah, I was fairly unflappable when it came to dealing with bad news. But I quickly learned over the next two hours that I was damn flappable when it was the opposite…

~#~

"_They found Jake and Nessie."_

I took a deep breath and steeled myself as I again went into that strange combination of calm and hyperawareness. I was ready for anything.

"Where?" I asked quietly. The next words to come out of her mouth were completely unexpected.

What I expected was: "They dragged them from the Bay" or "They were found in a dumpster."

I was bracing myself for either of these scenarios when she asked something completely out of left-field. "You know Quil Ateara, don't you?"

_Uh, what does that have to do with anything?_

Why was she asking about Quil? Had something happened to him too? Then it hit me. All of a sudden, I recalled a conversation that happened before all hell broke loose.

~#~

_"Jake! What the heck is this greasy thing doing on the kitchen table?" Nessie asked, as she stood in the hallway and pointed toward the kitchen._

_"That's a spare carburetor I had in my truck since Thursday. Quil said he'd drop over either late tonight or tomorrow to get it so he could continue with the project."_

_"Quil's working tomorrow?" Nessie asked. "On the Fourth?"_

_"That guy is pure gold." _

~#~

I closed my eyes in an attempt to visualize my encounter with Chuck at their home that morning. I'd been in the kitchen looking for food. I'd put my clothes and money on the table… the empty table! There was no sign of the greasy carburetor. _Holy shit!_ In my rush to get in and out of the house, it hadn't even registered.

"Bella! Are you okay? You've got to breathe, please!" As my eyes cracked open, I looked and realized I had Edward's arm in a vice grip and I was beginning to feel woozy from not breathing. I gasped an aching breath.

I looked quickly to Alice. "They're with Quil?"

She nodded, a tight smile forming.

My heart was starting to beat faster, almost daring to hope. "Alive?"

"As of about two hours ago, yes."

"How do you know this?"

She said, "As you ought to be more than aware of by now, I know how to find things out, Bella." She quickly walked across the room to grab the wireless keyboard off the piano and then went to stand in front of the TV. The picture of me and Tyler disappeared as she rapidly clicked and started opening programs and files.

I tried to make my way to the couch on shaky legs and Edward instantly tried to hold me up. "I've got it," I said, waving him off.

He didn't let go of my hand and instead grabbed the other. "Are you kidding?" he said quietly, an amused look on his face. "Now that I'm finally able to touch you, do you think I'm going to stop?" He kept his hand on my back as we moved to the couch to sit.

Alice began, "So, I took their driver's license photos, plus other photos like the one from the newspaper of the three of you, and used my facial recognition program to search for them. Since-"

I cut her off. "Hold on. You have a facial recognition program? How?"

Edward looked at me. "Alice is a computer genius; she was an FBI trainee in Cyber Crimes until Dad did what he did to me-"

"Then I quit, went underground, and resurfaced as 'Brandon,' named after one of my favorite 90210 characters," she said quickly. "But enough about me. On the off-chance that the bad guys didn't dispose of the bodies, and maybe Jake and Nessie survived the gunshot wounds, I figured hospitals would be the logical place to check first."

"What did you find?"

She turned to the screen and hit her keyboard. The next thing we knew, we were watching footage from very early July fourth. From the signs on the wall in the footage, we were looking at the basement of a hospital. "That's San Francisco General," Alice clarified.

"Hospitals have to report gunshot wounds to the police," Edward said.

"Well, it appears that Jake and Nessie have friends in low places," she retorted.

We watched as a guy with a baseball cap and leather jacket appeared and knocked on a door. A dark guy with long hair appeared and fist-bumped leather jacket guy before listening to whatever he had to say. When leather jacket guy turned and gestured down the hall, we finally saw his face.

"That guy looks familiar," Edward mused.

"He should," I said. "It's Jake's manager, Quil."

"Of course I know Quil, I mean that guy," Edward said, pointing to the other man rapidly following Quil down the hall.

Within seconds, they both appeared holding up Jacob, and with Nessie in tow, disappeared into the room. As they turned, we got them from a different angle. Alice froze the shot. Jake looked terrible. He had a black-eye, a swollen lip and seemed barely conscious. Nessie didn't look much better. She had a huge yellowing bruise on one side of her face and a cut over her right eye.

"This is how I found them. I have a lot of information about you loaded into my system," Alice said to me, "including that Bay to Breakers photo. Quil was in the background." She pulled up the photo and our smiling faces appeared on the big screen. She was right: There behind us, pouring juice, was Quil - a little out of focus, but still identifiable.

"My facial recognition program is superior. It doesn't just identify an individual by his or her features; it also takes the features of everyone in the photo and then searches for them together, figuring out known associates so that when it finds the group, it narrows the playing field considerably and results in a faster search. In this case, I hit the jackpot because I got Jake, Nessie and Quil all in one shot."

She paused, and then added, "This is the same way I found out about Tyler. I found your name on several photos from your friend Leah's wedding on a random search that brought up a Facebook page. He was in a lot of the shots with you. From there, I found the picture of you coming off the ferry. It was clear that you were sort of dating him."

I suddenly felt Edward's hand on my knee. I glanced at him and his eyes flashed. "_Not anymore_," he mouthed.

Alice clicked and started the footage again. The ponytailed guy went hurrying down the hall and soon came back with a guy in a medical coat. It looked like he'd found a doctor who was willing to help. She fast-forwarded and then froze the shot when the two men came out of the room together. They looked so similar, apart from the haircut on the doctor, making it clear they were related. "Embry and Bailey Call. Brothers. Bailey is the doctor, Embry is an orderly. Quil went to high school with Embry."

"Ah, Bailey Call," Edward said. "Yeah, he was at UCSF for a while before moving on to SF General. That's how I know him."

Alice smiled. "It's good that you know him… and Quil. We need all the connections we can find right now." She pressed play again and eventually we saw Nessie and Quil help Jake down the hallway and the clip ended.

"Alice, that was Sunday, two whole days ago. Why did you say that they're alive as of two hours ago?"

"Okay, so I know you think I'm a meddling nosy-body-"

I snorted. "That's an understatement."

She shrugged. "It's what I do, and in this case it's a good thing. I hacked into your cellphone account and got your messages."

"You WHAT?" I yelled.

"Just because your phone was smashed doesn't mean your account is gone. You really should use a different password, by the way. Combinations of birthdates, anniversaries, etc. are too easy to figure out."

_Jeez!_ I crossed my arms and shook my head. "Don't worry. If I ever get my life back, I'll make sure I hack-proof my world."

She smirked and I could tell she was thinking, _Yeah, good luck with that._ "Anyway," she continued, "you only had two. One came in yesterday from Tyler from China-again, adding to my knowledge-base about you and him." I grimaced and felt Edward squeeze my knee. I didn't bother to look at him; I got the message.

"The other was from two hours ago." She clicked the keyboard and brought up more footage of the hospital.

"Wait, I thought you said it was a voicemail."

"It just so happens that this footage is relevant to the voicemail."

We watched as a blonde woman in a baseball cap made her way to a central desk and spoke to one of the nurses. The nurse nodded and then leaned down and popped back up to hand the blonde a bag. The blonde nodded back and then turned to leave. The image changed to a payphone bay in the hospital. The same blonde looked around and then quickly went to a payphone at the end, put in some coins, and started punching numbers.

Alice clicked away at her keyboard and the next thing we knew, a familiar voice, speaking very quietly, came over the speakers. "Um, hello, Bella? It's Ness. Are you okay? Jake was shot! Those guys… we don't know who attacked us, but thank God they left us there to rot. Quil found us, but you weren't there and I hope they didn't find you!

"He took us to someone he knew at the hospital and the good news is we think Jake'll be okay. We're staying with some friend of Quil's…Jared. He's weird but he's helping us stay low. God, I don't understand what any of this means. I hope you're safe. If you are, and you get this, maybe you can get a message to the garage. I think they took my phone and ID. Anyway, we'll get it somehow. Okay, bye."

The woman on the screen turned and Alice froze the image. It was Nessie, in a blonde wig. Looking at the time on the screen, it happened just a few hours ago.

"Do you know Jared?" Edward asked.

I shook my head. "No, never heard of him."

"Okay, well, the good news is he's REALLY off the radar," Alice said. "There's no public info on this guy, no photos, nothing. But the bad news is that Nessie's little call to you just put THEM back on the radar."

"Why?"

"I'm not the only one who's watching your account, Bella. I deleted the message because it was a better option than not; however, if they get access to your phone records, it's only a matter of time before they see the date and time of the call and figure out it came from that hospital and start searching for the same footage. Even though my software is more advanced, they'll figure it out eventually. I'd say we have about a day before they're on to them, maybe two at best."

"Shit!" I jumped up. "I have to go!"

Edward was immediately on his feet. "Wait! Go where?"

"Back to San Francisco! Jake protected me that night. I can't let them be sitting ducks waiting for these goons to find them."

"Are you fucking crazy? You want to go back?"

I glared at him. "Look, I can't ask you to come with me but I _have_ to go." I started pacing. "Maybe I can get a flight out this afternoon."

Alice stepped closer. "Bella, you can't fly there. They're definitely looking for you in airports, bus stations and railways. Their programs will easily find you. You'll be walking into a trap. Give me a few hours to coordinate a little more-"

Edward looked at his sister angrily. "Alice, you can't be serious. You're encouraging her to go back?"

"No, I'm not _encouraging_ her, but they're practically her family. If I were in her shoes, I'd probably do the same thing." She paused. "I'd do it in a heartbeat if you were in trouble." Then he seemed to acquiesce as he took a deep breath and nodded.

"Anyway, do you think either of us could stop her? She's already made up her mind and at this point, you're either with her or you're not."

"I'm with her," he said grabbing my hand, as he looked at me and said with a small smile. "I told you, I won't abandon you." I squeezed his hand in thanks.

"Then give me some time," Alice said. "You need to be armed with as much information and help as possible and I'm working on that. I won't send you up there defenseless. In the meantime, you can start preparing from here. I found several locked files on the flash drive and I've already unlocked a lot of video files, most of which are from Victoria's shop. I'm running my facial recognition algorithm on them now. Of the other files I've unlocked so far, one seems to be a ledger; it's an Excel spreadsheet of payments. Since you analyze data for a living, I'll let you take a look at it to see if there are any other things you can glean."

Edward squeezed my hand again. "Well, I need a shower. Preferably a cold one," he said with a smirk.

Of course, I said nothing as I turned pink.

He grinned knowing I was thinking about what had happened before Alice arrived, when she slapped his arm. "Oh cut that out. She needs to focus and you need to clean up. Your hair is all over the place-"

"That's its normal state, Alice."

"It looks like you just had sex."

He gave me a sly side glance. "Don't I wish."

As Alice left the playroom and Edward went to take his shower, I realized this might be my only opportunity to speak with Alice alone before we left for San Francisco, and I decided to try to get Edward to take a little extra time in the bathroom.

"Hey," I called to him, "are you going to shave when you're in there too?"

He stuck his head back in the room. "Why? Do you think I need to?"

I walked over to him and touched his face. "I don't know. Is it normal for a five-o'clock shadow to make a noon appearance, Mr. Scruff?"

He leaned in to rub his cheek against mine and whispered, "But scruff can be useful sometimes. Adds a little more friction in the right spots, Bella."

_Friction? What does he mean by- OH! Okaaaay. I am way outta my league. _

I was already red when he pulled back to look at me. He bit his lip and shook his head as he tried to contain his grin. "I warned you that I look for ways to make you blush, darlin'." He gave me a quick kiss and then backed away, holding his hands up. "I'll shave. I know other ways to make friction happen," he said with a wink.

I gaped at him. He chuckled. "I'd say get your mind outta the gutter…but it's in the right place. Close your mouth; you're giving me too many ideas," he said as he walked out of the room.

"What?" I yelped as I covered my mouth. I could hear him laughing as he went down the hall. I was beet red at that point. _Jeez, I'm gonna need a cold shower of my own!_

Just then, Alice returned with a bag of pretzels under an arm and a Netbook in the other. "Oh Bella, you're much too easy of a target. He's having a blast teasing you." She sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her, starting up the Netbook as I came to sit by her. "Okay, so there's the spreadsheet with payments going out on various dates, and then several other files. Do you have any idea what clinical trials are?"

"A little. Aren't they studies or something to test drugs to see if they do what they're supposed to do and if they cause damage?"

She nodded. "One of the other files I unlocked was a list of biotech companies, what drugs or compounds they were working on, and what 'phase' of the trials they were in. There was also a file called clinicaltrialsum040410; I haven't unlocked that one yet. Anyway, try to see whether you can pick up anything from the spreadsheet and I'll go back to my lair and see how the facial recognition program is going so I can get the contacts set up for your trip back to San Francisco."

As she stood, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. "Wait," I said, looking at the door. "I don't have much time. Give me fifteen minutes and talk fast. Tell me everything you can about your dad."

Her eyes lit up and she nodded, understanding my meaning immediately. She closed the laptop and started talking.

~#~

Twenty minutes later, I was lying on my stomach stretched across the guestroom bed using the laptop to do some quick research. I'd completed my review of the electronic ledger, but saw no pattern in the payments listed there, so I decided to surf the net and quickly get the lay of the land on clinical trials. I was correct at the most basic level. They were conducted to collect efficacy and safety data on any health interventions, such as drugs, therapy protocols or medical devices. There were generally four phases of trials, not including pre-clinical work done in the lab.

Phase I was the first stage of testing in human subjects, generally done in small batches in inpatient clinics, mainly to test the safety of the drug, using healthy volunteers.

Phase II was to test dosage and effectiveness on patients and volunteers.

Phase III trials were conducted in multicenters with large patient groups to determine the definitive effectiveness of the drug. In order for a company to have a drug approved by the FDA, it had to conduct two successful Phase III trials.

Finally, Phase IV was post-market trials, to monitor the safety of the drug and test interactions with other drugs. It was possible that a drug could be taken off the market if significant long-term adverse effects were proven.

_So what?_ We had a list of drugs in development, a locked file referencing a clinical trial, some clips from Victoria's shop, and a ledger of payments going to a number of people on various dates. What did they have to do with one another? Was there anything else on the drive that could possibly tell us why any of this was important?

I was futilely trying to connect the dots when the door opened. Edward peeked in, rubbing a towel over his head. "There you are," he said, then stuck out his chin and turned his face from side-to-side and smiled. "Shaved."

I smiled back and then noticed that he was dressed only in jeans, once again allowing me to take in his lean, muscular form…the same one that had been pressed up against me just over an hour ago. He looked good. _Damn._

"Any luck with making sense of what Alice gave you?"

I shook my head. "No. I don't think we have enough information yet."

He stepped closer and sat down on the bed. "You changed. This is a nice top," he said, touching my shoulder. "Tight. Different from your usual stuff."

I looked down at the purple v-neck I was wearing. "Oh, yeah. I thought it was time to get out of my pjs. Nessie got it for me."

"Wow," he said, "it's very… slimming."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I usually look fat?"

"I'm saying you usually wear baggy stuff and this," he said, tugging at my top, "is _not_. I'll just call you 'Thin Izzy' when you wear these skinny numbers from now on."

I laughed. "Thin Izzy?"

"Yeah, seeing you in formfitting clothes is as rare as a black singing/composing Irishman."

"That's Thin _Lizzy_, you fool."

Chuckling, he stood up and ran the towel over his head again. Damn, he looked good. Gesturing to the hallway, he asked, "Where's Alice?"

I looked back down at the computer to stop myself from staring. "She went to her lair."

"When?"

I looked at the computer clock. "About five minutes ago."

"How long will she be gone?"

I shrugged. "Don't know. However long it takes to see the results of the facial recognition and set things up."

I looked up and watched as he shut and locked the door. Then he turned and leaned against it as he crossed his arms, leveling me with a lethal gaze. "Hmm."

"What?"

"When Alice goes to her lair, she usually stays there awhile. That leaves us plenty of time…"

I frowned. "To do…what?"

He raised his eyebrows and smiled wickedly as he pushed himself off the door. "To get started on that list of things I told you I wanted," he said as he walked slowly toward the bed.

_Wha?_ When you took away all the pretty compliments that surrounded it, that "list" essentially boiled down to seeing me naked in bed with him, touching me and making me "come."

I closed the laptop and sat up immediately. "There's no time."

He climbed on the bed and started crawling on his hands and knees across it, looking damn sexy. _Shiiit._ When he was close enough, he started kissing my neck. "Are you sure?" he mumbled. "It's a great stress-reliever."

I started to panic and scrambled away from him, not wanting to get into the conversation we really needed to have at this moment. "No, it's not enough time." I was up and off the bed in a heartbeat and scrambled around the room to run to the door. I tried to pull it open but forgot to turn the lock.

It didn't really matter because suddenly he was standing right behind me, one arm quickly snaking around my waist holding me to him, and the other raised up so he could press on the door to keep it shut. "Wait! Bella, what's going on? Why are you running from me?"

Something was seriously wrong with me. Death, divorces, muggings: those I could take no problem. But learning that my friends were alive nearly brought me to my knees. And having a gorgeous guy who was crazy about me - and who I was equally crazy about – making sexual advances caused me to run for the hills. I'd hoped we could take our time with this. Ease into it. But when was anything ever easy for me?

I was breathing heavily, trying to calm down, but to no avail. He could definitely feel my anxiety.

"Sweetheart, you're shaking. Talk to me, please."

"It's weird to talk about this…"

"After everything we've discussed over the past few days?"

_This is waaay more personal than my top five, buddy…_

I took a deep breath. "It's not enough time, Edward." I said quietly. "It's not. I take a LONG time. And then, I start to think I'm never going to be able to, and that he'll never be able to hold off, and the next thing I know I'm just watching him and hoping he's almost done."

"Ohhh," he said gently, hugging me tighter, as he moved the arm that was on the door across my chest so he was holding my shoulder. "Different positions didn't help?"

I felt like a moron as I sighed. "There weren't that many positions, so no."

"So an orgasm during sex is rare for you-"

"More like non-existent," I mumbled.

He kissed my head. "Okay. That happens for many women. What about before intercourse? Fingering… didn't work? Or when he went down on you?" he asked, cocking his head and leaning around me to see my face. Which was turning bright red at that moment. "Bella?"

_Going down on me. Sure._ I looked up at him and started gnawing on my bottom lip. "It didn't work?" he asked again. I raised my eyebrows, hoping he'd get the hint. He got a look of surprise when he finally realized what my non-reaction meant, then his eyes quickly narrowed and he looked annoyed. "No one has gone down on you? What kind of fucking morons have you been with?"

"Only two… fucking… morons. A guy I went out with in college and Mike." I started talking faster, rushing the words. "But they both had experience! It was clearly me. And Mike cheated on me because I wasn't into sex, and he was right. I never once initiated with him, or with the guy in college."

God this was an awful thing to talk about. A tear slowly rolled down my face and I wiped it away. "I- I'm not good at this, Edward. I'm not. But I don't want to be that way with you. I don't want to freeze up again, and I don't want to feel like an idiot. I want it to be good for us, for you."

He let go of me and gently turned me to face him. I leaned against the door as he moved his hands to my waist. "I _am_ good at this Bella, and my wife cheated on me anyway. Sometimes people want more than what they have, and sometimes they don't know what they've got." He leaned in and kissed me tenderly. "I know what I have here." He paused for a moment and then asked, "Tell me…have you ever had an orgasm?"

I nodded.

"With someone else?"

I shook my head and tried not to think about how I was basically admitting to masturbating.

He smiled and nodded, "Okay, good. Now, I know you were just turned on out there with me-"

"Who wouldn't have with all that stuff you said to me?" I blurted.

His smile widened. "Exactly. Our communication and this connection we have give us a leg up on your past. Just don't forget that: I know you well, better than anyone ever has I'll bet." Suddenly his eyes lit up and he quickly grabbed my hand and moved me to stand facing the mirror over the bureau. He placed both my hands on the surface and then once again stood behind me, flush against my back, both arms wrapped around my waist and placed his face next to mine, speaking to me as he stared into my eyes in our reflection. "I SEE you. I know you and understand you because I listen. Look at the great information you just told me in the last five minutes."

He started nuzzling my neck and watching me in the mirror. "I mean, I learned you had morons for partners and you get lost in your own head during it all and we need to find ways to keep you out of it."

He reached up to turn my face toward him and then he slanted his mouth over mine. Once again, he worked his magic, kissing me slowly, his tongue and lips rapidly making my mind forget every care in the world and real key parts of me start to tingle. Pulling back to look at me, he said seductively, "Also, you're able to get yourself off, so we know you _can_ come."

I inhaled sharply and then he chuckled. "And last of all, I think you like it when there's either blatant sexual innuendo or just plain dirty talk." He winked at me and turned my head to face the mirror again. "That's a lot of useful information." He paused for a moment, a quizzical expression on his face. "Do you use a vibrator to come?"

_Oh my God! This conversation! _I could only shake my head. "No? Why?"

"I just want to know what will help you." He started kissing me softly, his lips brushing against the nape of my neck, my cheek, my ear, my jawline. It was kind of surreal, watching what he was doing to the woman in the mirror, and feeling it - and the heat coming off his bare chest behind me - at the same time.

"Did you ever think about me when you made yourself come, darlin'?"

_Holy crap! Do I have to admit that?_ I flushed. He stopped staring in the mirror and looked down at the 'v' at my chest. Then he slowly lifted the hem of my shirt and peeked at my stomach. "Yep, the blush extends quite far." He let go of the shirt and brought that hand to my face to stroke my cheek with one finger. "Don't be embarrassed, baby," he said in his "butter" voice, his tone smooth and low. "I think about you all the time."

_Oh shit, not the voice!_ "You do?"

"Mm-hm," he said kissing my neck again. "Do you want to know what I think about?"

_Um, kinda… "_I don't know; do I?"

He smiled slowly. "I think you do."

Suddenly I was very glad that my hands were on the bureau because otherwise I wouldn't be able to stay upright for this. However, when he placed his hands on top of mine and started moving them, I rethought that notion. There was no way in hell I was going to be able to stay standing if he was planning to tell me his fantasies and _touch_ me. I'd be lucky if I didn't faint, hit my head, and then bleed all over the place.

"Hmm. Well, I imagine touching you…every square inch of you," he said, moving his hands slowly – I mean _veeeery_ slowly - all the way up my arms to my shoulders. Then they circled around and continued down my sides. All nerves in my body were standing at attention and a chill ran through me even though I was rapidly getting warmer. _Hell yeah, I'd better hold on._

He continued. "My mouth follows in my hands' wake, as I kiss and taste every part of you," he said, nudging my head to the side as he kissed and _licked_ my neck. Our eyes were locked in the mirror and his hands were moving back and forth on my hips when he said, "And I do mean _every_ part, Bella."

I blinked and remembered to breathe. "Do I taste good?" I blurted._ Oooh, why did I ask that?_

His wicked eyes flashed, as his head popped up. "You taste fucking amazing."

_Gulp._

"At this point in my fantasy you're pretty much naked, so I get to explore…some of your more sensitive parts in greater detail." His hands moved up, off my hips, across my stomach and then slowly upward. He paused for a moment and watched me, clearly waiting for me to stop him, but I was frozen, holding my breath. After about ten seconds, he continued upward and before I knew it, he was cupping my breasts. I inhaled quickly and involuntarily arched into his hands.

"Funny, that's what you do in my fantasy," he whispered, his mouth brushing over my ear. Still palming and caressing my left breast, I watched with rapt attention as his right hand slowly moved down my stomach, past my hip bones, and straight for the goal line. Once there, he cupped me outside of my jeans and pressed his first and middle fingers into me, while his thumb rotated circles in the exact right spot. "Then I explore more of your insides."

_Fuuuck._ My body was on fire and tingling from all of his caresses and touches. He continued to use his mouth on my neck, face, lips, His left hand had moved to meet my right breast while his right hand was busy down there. And he didn't stop those clever erotic words from coming.

I could feel him, hard behind me, pressing into me, and I felt like I was getting close to the Promised Land. But it was when he started telling me about where my hands and mouth were on him that my brain went into overdrive.

_What if I don't know how to do those things well?_ _I need to make him feel good too._

Suddenly he let go of me and it was like I was doused with cold water. "Hey!" he hissed. "Get out of your head right now, or do I need to strip you down and fuck your brains out so you can't think?"

_Holy shit!_ That focused me immediately. My body felt electrified.

He spun me around to face him and suddenly lifted me to sit on the bureau. Then he opened my legs to stand between them. He rested his hands on the top of my thighs for a moment as they slowly moved toward my butt. "Bella look at me," he said, his very hard…boat…moving back and forth and pressing into me at – _oh God_ –just the right spot. "Feel me, feel us."

One hand then quickly moved to my bottom and the other to my back and he pulled me flush hard against him as he said, "I see you darlin'. I _know_ you." The combination of his sensual stare and the reality of those words were enough to send me over. As my body suddenly exploded, I gasped loudly and I watched him smile slowly as my body shook.

After what felt like a blissful year later, I came down out of orbit, breathing heavily. I felt like a noodle and I put my forehead against his shoulder. "Okay, I'm relaxed now," I muttered. "Jeez, if I'd known I liked dirty talk, I woulda talked to myself all these years!" I said peeking up at him. He was grinning at me.

"Sweetheart?"

"Hmm?"

"That took less than fifteen minutes."

I instantly sat up straighter. "Are you shitting me?" He shook his head. "Fuck, _you're_ awesome!"

He smiled wickedly. "Listen to you! I've created a monster." He kissed me slowly. "No, _we're _awesome."

I could still feel him, there. I looked down at his pants and back at him. Thankfully my meaning was clear.

"One thing at a time. I'm good," he said.

_Yes indeedy you are._ "Aren't you going to get… blueballs if you don't… soon? Why do that to me if you're not going to get anything out of it?"

"Oh, I got something out of it; your face just then was…" he trailed off. "Don't worry, I'm not completely altruistic here. I did that so when we finally are together, you won't freeze up. You'll know you can get over that, well, _hump_, and be with me, in the moment." He kissed the tip of my nose and then chuckled. "As for my blueballs, I was just in the shower and I jerked off-twice. Why do you think I've taken so many showers around you?"

I wrinkled my nose and laughed. "Oh, man, you're kidding!"

He shook his head. "I've been sleeping next to you for days. If I didn't, it might've attacked you on its own accord." He smirked. "Isn't that what you've been doing during all those showers you took?"

_No, but damn I oughtta try! You've just given me stuff to fantasize about for years._ "Uh, no, I've been showering." I paused. "And that's where I often go to think…and cry."

He cupped my face. "When this mess is through, I'm taking you in the shower, and there will be no thinking or crying. Unless it's thinking about what a sex god I am. And they're tears of joy, baby."

_In the shower? That actually sounds kind of… hot! _I hooked my ankles together and pulled him back into me to kiss him. I tangled my hands in his hair and tried to get closer. Soon his hands were in my hair as well and the kiss got a little heated again.

"Bella," he moaned, tugging at my shirt, as he kissed my neck, "these clothes are going to come off fast if we don't stop."

I closed my eyes, threw my head back and let him continue kissing down my top. "Okay, stop then," I said, in-between my embarrassingly loud breaths.

"Okay," he mumbled, "I'll stop." Oh, but he wasn't stopping as his mouth seemed to be on a beeline for one of my breasts.

Somewhere along the way, I opened my eyes and noticed a shadow outside the window from my peripheral vision. I froze and turned to look. That's when another shadow crossed by.

"Stop," I whispered. "Okay" came his response, as he continued his actions. I pulled his head up before he could do any serious damage, and unwrapped my legs. "No, Edward, _stop_!" I whispered. "I just saw two men outside the window."

He froze, and then asked, "Maybe gardeners?"

We both paused to listen. "Do you hear lawn mowers or leaf blowers?" I whispered, jumping off the dresser.

"Fuck!" he hissed, and then he was off like a shot, throwing the door open and running down the hall.

I ran after him. "Where are you going?"

"To see if Alice has her gun in the usual spot."

_Gun! Usual spot?_

He was back in a flash, a small revolver in-hand. "Where-" I began but he cut me off as he padded to the living room quietly and stared out the windows. "Bedroom closet, shoe box on the floor, just like Mom. Family practice," he said, shaking his head. I froze when I saw them moving around from the side of the house to the front, clearly coming to the front door.

I felt extremely exposed with no weapon. Who'd have thought I'd feel safer with a frying pan in hand! Edward pulled me behind him and we stood flush against the wall right around the corner. Suddenly, there was a knock. Edward looked at me, puzzled. "The thugs knocked when they showed up at Jake and Nessie's too," I whispered. "Get ready." I watched the handle as it slowly began to turn. _Shit!_

No sooner was the door open when Edward shouted, "Hands up, assholes!" pointing the gun at our visitors.

"Jesus, Doc, is this how you treat people who come to help you? Or is this payback for how I greeted you in Vegas?" the voice boomed.

_Holy shit! The boys are back in town!_ "Emmett?" I said stepping around Edward.

"Hey Bella," he said, looking at me, then at Edward. "Hmm. You two are a little more friendly now, I see." He wiggled his eyebrows.

I grinned and shook my head. "Guess who just got back today…"

He nodded, playing along. "Those wild eyed boys that have been away…"

"Haven't changed, haven't much to say," Garrett added, rolling his eyes. "Except this: Can we put our fucking hands down yet?"

Edward was speechless throughout our little exchange and suddenly realized he was aiming the gun at them. As he dropped his hands, he finally found his voice. "What the fuck? What are you guys doing here?"

"May we come in?" Garrett asked. "Where's the hospitality?"

"Yeah." Emmett said. "We're starving and Alice said you had a shit-ton of pancakes and bacon left over."

"Alice?" Edward sputtered. "You KNOW Alice?"

Emmett made a face and then slapped Edward on the back. "Oh, dude, I think you should sit down for this. Could we at least eat while we're talking?"

* * *

**A/N2: *shakes head* Oh, Alice.**

**Thank you to my beta, Irritable Grizzzly. She got this chapter back to me at 5:30 in the morning - before heading to sleep - which makes her not only a vampire, but also deserving of those Best Beta nominations she keeps getting.  
**

**Please review. **

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back in Town._

_Thin Lizzy was a hard-rock band from Dublin, Ireland. The band's front man, co-founder and co-composer, Phil Lynott was indeed one of the first successful black hard-rocking Irishmen. They had two number one hits in Ireland – Whiskey in the Jar and The Boys are Back in Town – but only Boys made it to the US charts, hitting #12 at its peak._


	19. Jackson Browne

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: This every other week update thingy is turning out to be difficult right now. Work. Work. And more work. Sorry. I'm trying._

_Thank you to Marvar for the nice words about this story and my American Vampire Series in a recent update. And, as always, thanks to anyone passing on the word about the story. I'm not on any forums or FB or anything, so I don't know who is talking about it unless I see a tweet or someone tells me in a review._

_Sooo, I originally planned for this to be a different band/song, but too much happened before we even got to the reference. As a result, I added Mr. Browne. Seemed appropriate for my RL right now…_

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**Jackson Browne: Running on Empty**

**#**

Over a month ago, Jasper - in his blunt Dr. Whitlock way - had insinuated that I'd gotten my attraction to "unavailable men" from Grams. He couldn't have been further off in his assessment. The one man I was attracted to, although I really didn't know how much at the time, was more than available to me; we just needed to have everything go to hell for us to realize this.

However, in a broader sense, Jasper was right: I was very much like my grandmother in a big way, aside from the poker skills and lie-detecting. Grams told me that up until Grandpa got a bout of "feetus freezingus" three months before their wedding, she'd been living life in a haze. His actions woke her nineteen-year-old self up and out of the dutiful daughter and fiancée fog she'd been in, and set her on a course of action that changed their lives for the better.

Like Grams, I felt like I'd been living in a fog for the past eight years…until Saturday night. Oh, there were moments of clarity through it all: my graduation from college, the day Mike proposed, the day my divorce was final and I moved to San Francisco, Leah's wedding, days spent with Jake and Nessie. But until I started running from Jake's house and landed in the arms of my gorgeous DJ friend, I don't think I was truly living. It was ironic that it took a near-death experience and constant revelations about and from Edward to awaken me permanently from my slumber. My senses were humming. For some odd reason, I felt like I was finally in my element; I was where I was supposed to be and with the person I was meant to be with… and it was a strange and wonderful and _scary_ revelation.

"I believe that everything is transient," I'd told Jasper. "We're born alone and we die alone."

"But the moments in-between, and the connections we create, are what make us human," he'd responded.

_No,_ I now realized, _it's the moments and the connections __**that make life worth fighting ****f**__**or**._ I wanted my life back, I wanted my friends to be safe, and I wanted to be with Edward outside of this madness. It was time for me to move ahead; I didn't want to be alone anymore.

As we quickly learned, you're never alone when Alice is on your side. You're not aware she's there, but you're sure as hell happy that she is.

~#~

To tell the truth, I expected Edward to be more upset with this latest revelation than he seemed to be. I mean, it has to be pretty shocking to find out that what you thought you knew wasn't quite accurate. I guess after everything that already happened over the past day and a half, this was just a drop in the bucket.

That said, I still thought that it would be a good idea if he wasn't holding a gun right now.

I stepped closer to our visitors and motioned for them to enter. "Well, don't stand there, come in. Why don't you guys go to the kitchen and get the food heated up. I don't know what Alice has to drink, but I think there's still some juice, or you can make some coffee if you'd like," I suggested.

The guys nodded. "That'd be great, Bella, thanks," Garrett said as they entered the house and closed the door behind them.

I went over to Edward. "Hey, why don't you show them where everything is and I'll just go put this back," I said, gently pulling the gun loose from his hand.

He ran a hand through his hair and then chuckled darkly. As I turned to go, he reached out and grabbed my arm. Taking a step closer, he took a deep breath and kissed my forehead. "Thank God, you're here," he murmured. Then he looked at the guys and said, "Okay, let's get you some food because THIS I gotta hear." They all turned and headed to the kitchen.

As I went down the hall to find Alice's room, I looked at the rather compact gun in my hand and read the name on the barrel: Ruger SP-101. 38-Special. I would have expected the daughter of an FBI agent to have a semi-automatic; however, if I were to have a gun, I might pick the same one, even though the semi could hold more bullets. This was smaller and revolvers were often more reliable.

_Shoe box in the closet. Family practice. Jeez._ I opened the door at the end of the hallway, correctly guessing it was Alice's. It was beautifully furnished and decorated in warm green and brown tones. Not wanting to linger nosily, I moved to the open closet door and was a bit surprised. Alice didn't have a lot of clothes, but by the looks of the ones she did have, they were tasteful and expensive: no Costco items here! Looking down, I did a double-take. What she lacked in clothes, she more than made up in shoes. For an underground hacker, she sure was fashionable!

There were many shoe boxes opened and strewn on the closet floor, clearly due to Edward's scramble to get the gun. I guess standard practice didn't include a standard box in which to put the damn thing? As I quickly sorted the shoes back into their boxes, I thought about Alice and realized that Edward really shouldn't have been that surprised she was acquainted with his friends. He'd said he kept his distance from his sister because her intrusive little ways were unstoppable after she'd developed her computer skills, and he needed a clean slate.

But what difference did this distance make? When we'd arrived and Alice started acting like we were old friends and listing off my personal history, he'd merely told her to stop freaking me out, as if this was something he was used to. And during yesterday's introductions, she'd told us she'd been waiting for this reunion for a long time. I guess Edward and I both had missed it at the time, but it was now very clear why she was sitting out there waiting for us last night: She'd been tipped off that we were on our way and the reason for it.

I quickly found a box missing its matching shoes and put the gun in it, then left to rejoin the guys. Emmett was already digging into a plate of pancakes and Garrett was near the microwave waiting for his. Edward stood by the coffee pot as it brewed. He had his arms crossed and a frown on his face.

"That long?" he asked, incredulously. "That's over five years ago."

"Well, five years for Em and Rose," Garrett said. "I only found out about her after I started working at the garage. I've only met her once."

"And Irina?" Edward asked.

Garrett stopped the microwave and took out his plate. Grabbing a seat next to Emmett, he shook his head. "No, she doesn't know a thing. She's got a big mouth and Em and Rose said Alice was never to be discussed beyond us four, so we've kept it quiet."

I entered the kitchen and Edward noticed my presence. He reached out and pulled me into his arms. I could feel his warm breath on the top of my head as he inhaled deeply and then slowly exhaled. I pulled back to look at him. "What did I miss?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm about to find out how I've been kept in the dark about yet one more thing," he said sarcastically.

"Ah, don't think of it that way, Doc," Emmett said as he grabbed his coffee mug, got up and gestured for us to move out of the way.

I stepped out of Edward's arms as we let him pass, and went to move to his other side, but then he grabbed me. Widening his stance, he put me in front of him, my back to his chest. Then he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer, whispering in my ear, "Stay right here. It calms me." I smiled and nodded as I settled into his embrace.

Emmett turned and poured some coffee into Garrett's mug after filling his own, then gestured to us with the pot, but we shook our heads and he put it back.

"How should I think of it?" Edward asked. "You have kept it from me."

"Edward, how often do we talk to you?" Emmett asked as he returned to his seat. "Now think about when we have spoken since you got out. How often did we discuss your family? Almost never. So why bring it up?"

I could feel Edward's shrug behind me. "All right then," he said slowly. "So you're three months out of prison and newly-married to Rosalie, kid on the way, and Alice just shows up at your door? How did she even find you?"

"Apparently Alice was with your mom those few times she tried to visit you in Folsom and had seen us all hanging together in the courtyard. She took some photos in her sneaky "Oracle" way, figured out my name from the prison records, and sought me out once I was paroled. You know how scary she is. Once she's on a mission for information…" Emmett trailed off. Yeah, we knew.

"What kind of information was she looking for?"

"Anything that you might have said to us," he said, nodding at Garrett, "about what happened to you the night of the murders and during your trial. Anyway, as it turns out, I did know something. You remember how early-on we used to discuss what went wrong with our cases? I told her about how you'd replay that night over and over trying to see if there was anything you missed." He paused. "You missed something all right… You know the guy playing the guitar by the water in Sausalito? The one you sat and listened to for a while?"

"Yeah, but I told the police about him-" Edward began.

"Right and the police questioned him. The guy didn't remember you because you didn't speak with him and he obviously didn't see you."

"So how was that helpful? We all knew the guy was blind."

"She asked me to recount what you said. You used to describe everyone at the scene: Blind guy playing guitar. Older African American couple. Some Goth teens. Family with three young kids." He stopped.

"And?" Edward prompted.

"Well, it was late on a school-night, yet this family was out with three kids? They never found that family, right?" Edward shook his head. "Blind guitar man playing along the water near San Francisco is kind of a tourist attraction for real _outta-towners_. She started searching the internet for anything about the blind guy. Eventually, she found him...and you…on that family's Facebook page in late 2006. They posted photos from their various trips shortly after Facebook opened up to everyone. So there you were, sitting in the background of the photo, and the eventual video footage she got from them. That solidified your whereabouts and gave a better estimate of when you actually left to go back to the hospital. Your mom did the rest of the legwork with former hospital staff members."

Wow, we'd already known Alice and Esme had helped exonerate him, but finding out Emmett's involvement took it to a whole new level. I checked out Edward's reaction; it looked like he'd stopped breathing, so I tugged on his arms and then gestured to the table. "Maybe we should sit."

He took another deep breath, and nodded. We joined the guys at the kitchen table. Then Edward clasped his hands and looked down. "Go on," he said quietly.

Emmett's eyes were wary as he looked at Edward, and then at me. I nodded for him to continue. "Sooo, three months later, Rose goes into labor way too early. Hallie is born and is in an incubator. The bills start piling up with only one of us working, and we're worried about how we're going to pay our rent…and then suddenly, it goes away. Our bills are paid off, and we receive a donation from Esme Platt Cullen to help fund our new business."

Edward snapped his head up. "Excuse me? Are you saying my mother paid for your hospital bills and owns your business?"

"No, she just gave us the starter money we needed. Alice paid our bills."

"So they bought your silence?" Edward said hotly.

"No, you asshole, they did it to express their gratitude for befriending you when you needed it, and for providing some key information," Emmett retorted. "Trust me, we didn't want to take it, but I have to tell you, it really helped. They only had one request: Tell only those we trusted about their involvement."

"Kate and I only found out because Kate did the garage's books and saw the records of payments," Garrett added.

"So whenever I mentioned the Oracle, you knew who she was the whole time? Don't I feel foolish," Edward said flatly.

The guys shrugged. "To be honest, you didn't mention her THAT much-" Garrett said.

"Still, you didn't say a thing. Why?"

"Doc, you were so ripped up that first year out, just wanting to start over. I knew how sensitive you were about your family, so Rosie and I figured you'd tell us when you were ready."

Edward sat in silence for a moment, processing. After about thirty seconds, I gently touched his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Running a hand over his face, he finally spoke. "You know, I want to be pissed off about this, but today has been filled with too many weird revelations, I…" he trailed off.

I reached for his hand and held it, then looked at Emmett. "Clearly, you've been in touch with Alice since then." The dots started connecting fast. "Which explains how Esme knew Edward's radio name came from you guys." Emmett nodded.

I looked around the kitchen and recalled what she'd said this morning. _"Oh, you never know who might show up."_ After Esme appeared, I'd figured that's who she'd meant, but once again, I was wrong. "She asked you to help us, didn't she?"

Garrett shook his head. "Not quite. She called at seven this morning and told us what she found so far. We discussed it and then we packed up and left while Irina was still sleeping."

"But you can't get involved. Rosalie-"

"-is behind this one hundred percent," Emmett said.

I was puzzled. What had brought about her change of heart? "But, she was right. You have a family."

"Bella, I wouldn't be alive or have a family at all if it weren't for Edward. We're not going to let him, and his…_friend_," he said slowly, looking down at our clasped hands and then back at me with a wink, "go into danger alone."

"Besides, you need us," Garrett added. "We have connections in low places."

"What do you mean?"

"Unlike these guys," he said, gesturing at Edward and Emmett, "I was actually guilty. I used to be a bit of a rebel and a modern-day Robin Hood. I didn't like it when 'the man' took from the little guy. So I often took it back. If something got repossessed, my friends and I would go after it. One day I got caught retrieving a car.

"Anyway, one of my old partners was an odd bird. Good guy, always willing to help anyone on the crew. Paranoid as hell. Barely told us anything about himself. We were lucky we got his name out of him." He paused. "Which just so happened to be _Jared_."

"What?" I whispered.

He held up his hands. "Now, I'm not sure it's the same Jared. However, Alice said the guy who rescued Jake and Nessie was named Quil, and had been in prison in San Quentin for auto theft as well. We've run in the same circles, Bella. I'm pretty sure I'm associated with Quil, and if that's the case, I probably know Jared too."

"But Alice said Jared was really off the grid. Do you know where he lives?"

"No, but the guy loved cars. I know where he frequents and I know his friends. As we were driving up, I spoke with Alice and gave her any names I could remember. She's looking now. I'm pretty sure we can find him."

On the one hand, I was thrilled at the prospect of being one step closer to getting to Jake and Nessie. On the other, I was afraid to involve anyone further. "I don't want to put you guys in danger."

"Bella," Emmett said firmly, "it's not our time to kick off yet. We're going to be as careful as possible; I promised Rosie. But Edward is like family and now, by extension, you are too. We won't let you go there alone."

It was silent for a moment as I took this all in. _Family._ I hadn't had a real family for eight years. It was a pretty amazing thing to suddenly have one now, looking out for me – a stranger to them only two days ago._ "Sometimes you run into the important people in your life in the strangest ways and places..."_ I heard Grams' wise voice say.

Edward broke the silence as he snorted, "Apparently you guys have been family for longer than I realized. Welcome to the crazy Cullens. _Our_ nosy sister knows every intimate detail of your life and _our_ mother gives you money. Watch out for _our _father."

"_Your_ nosy sister and mother only helped them a little with their bills," Alice said, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "We also gave them a little seed money and cosigned a loan. But they insisted on repaying us for everything, and they did, well over a year ago. They own the business free and clear." She looked at Garrett and Emmett, and smiled. "Nice to see you guys. I'm glad you're here because we're going to need you." Then her face got serious. "So, speaking of seed money and investing, I think I've figured out what Bella and Jake stumbled upon. Come on into the playroom."

~#~

Ten minutes later, my mind was churning, desperately trying to grasp what Alice had just said. It seemed crazy. "Are you kidding? You really think a VC is behind all this?" I asked.

Alice nodded. "Yeah. The files on the flash drive," she said, as we looked at the big screen, "all seem to be linked to the investments of one company: VolcaniC Investments."

"Time out," Emmett said. "I don't even know what a VC is. You need to speak English for the rest of us."

I had learned a bit about VCs and capital structure right out of grad school. Mike's firm did quite a bit of work with small, private companies, and several of my former co-workers at the litigation consulting firm joined some prestigious Silicon Valley VCs after business school. I only had some basic knowledge, but it was enough to understand the implications.

"VC stands for _venture capital_. A VC firm provides funding to early-stage, high-potential, high-growth companies. In return, they get a stake of ownership, or equity, in the company. They invest early, give the company money to get started and/or keep growing, and then when the company has its IPO – Initial Public Offering – they collect on their investment by selling off their shares on the stock market."

I looked around and saw everyone was following me, so I continued. "It has the possibility to be really lucrative. They can provide half a million to a million dollars of funding early on and essentially buy shares in this pre-public company at some low price, like say a dollar or two per share. The company starts growing, hiring employees, developing products, and getting more funding from other investors. Then the company goes public at ten or twenty dollars, and the VC gets all that gain per share times all the shares they own." I paused. "Does that make sense?"

Garrett nodded. "The rule of making money on anything, especially the stock market: sell it for a higher price than you bought it."

"Okay," Edward said, "so how are the video files, the Excel spreadsheet of payments, the list of biotech companies, and the clinical trial files linked to VolcaniC?"

Alice brought up the video files. "These are all from Victoria's camera shop. On various days over the past several years, some men come in and she slides them an envelope. The dates of these visits coincide with the excel spreadsheet, which recorded a date, initials, and payment amount.

"I ran the facial recognition program on these men, and found them through their DMV photos. Their names match with the initials on the ledger. All of them," she said, bringing up their various photos, "are physicians or administrators at local hospitals or clinics… where different phases of clinical trials were being conducted."

Emmett asked what clinical trial phases were and Edward briefly explained it, confirming my earlier research. Then he looked at Alice. "Are you suggesting these people were being paid to—"

She finished his thought. "Falsify or muck with the studies, yes."

"But don't the trial sponsors and doctors already get paid to participate in a trial for every patient they sign up?" I asked.

"Yes, and that's incentive enough to play around with them. But the payments you see there," he said, pointing at the screen, "are much larger."

"Wouldn't this be detected?" Garrett asked.

"Sure," Edward responded. "There are outside firms that are hired to conduct trials such as signing up patients, and monitoring sites. In theory, the trial manager might spot some anomalies with the results and call in an auditor to review the data. Obviously, it behooves the hospital or physician to do things on the up and up so that they can participate in other trials with other companies. But not everything gets caught in early phases." He rubbed his forehead. "How is this related to the VC?"

Alice pulled up the list of biotech companies that showed the products in their pipelines and the phases of development they were in. "Well, these doctors worked on the phase 1 and 2 trials of the drugs, compounds, and products." Certain companies and drugs were now highlighted in the file. "This list of companies spans several years. I tried to find anything that these companies had in common, and the only thing that popped up was VolcaniC. It invested in all of them, as well as others not associated with payoffs."

"So how would falsifying research help?" Garrett asked. "In later and larger trial phases, the problems would really start to come out, wouldn't they?"

"Yes, but by then the company could be public," I said. "You don't have to have a product on the market to have your IPO. It just has to look promising enough." I thought through what this meant. "So VolcaniC invests early, helps the company with some of their research 'problems,' the company goes public, and they get out."

Alice nodded. "One of the companies had a product already on the market that they had to recall because of adverse effects that were noted in multiple hospitals in 2003. VolcaniC happened to sell their shares about a year before that and made a fortune," she said slowly. "It was lucky they did. The company's shares tanked after that."

Obviously we both knew luck had nothing to do with it.

"Anyway," she continued, "Victoria was the payoff drop. What no one seemed to realize was that one of her little cameras recorded every transaction. On the videos, she makes a clear point of waving to the camera in the upper corner of the store, I guess proving that the camera was off. The day you and Jake showed up was when everything went sideways." She brought up a new video.

We watched as Victoria ran to the door to unlock it. A large man with sunglasses handed her a newspaper and then turned to leave. Alice froze the shot and zoomed in. It was a little fuzzy, but I knew who it was instantly. "Felix," I said.

"What about this guy?" she asked, zooming in on a man sitting in the passenger seat of the car outside. It was even fuzzier, but he was looking straight at us. I remembered his leering stare as he held the door open for me. "Demetri," I affirmed.

She fast-forwarded to a later point when a man came in. He seemed a little nervous. Victoria gestured at the camera in the corner and then turned back to him. He looked straight at us and gestured, clearly inquiring about the camera that took this recording. She started waving her hands as if to indicate nothing was wrong, but he backed away and ran out. Looking very upset, she ran to the camera and it went blank.

"That happened on Saturday morning. The guy must have told someone that he was being recorded because that afternoon, while you and Jake were in the store, Demetri and Felix returned." Alice said.

"_We need to talk, Victoria."_

I sighed. "She gave us the flash drive with the evidence so that she could deny what happened."

Alice made a face. "Bad luck and timing, Bella. You guys were in the wrong place on the wrong day."

Just like my parents. Bad luck and timing.

"So, do Felix and Demetri work for VolcaniC?"

"That's the one link I'm trying to find. I'm researching the partners. The senior partner, Alec Nicholas, is a big name in the local San Francisco circles, as are a few of their other partners, but so far, I haven't found anything." She paused. "Still," she said slowly, "I think that when you're up there, you might want to bring this information to Federal officials."

That got Edward's attention. "Excuse me?"

"Edward, this is essentially bribery leading to the endangerment of the public. Don't you think this might be something the FBI could help with?"

"Alice, are you out of your fucking mind? Are you actually suggesting we go to Carlisle for help?"

"Why not? They're messing with clinical trials-"

He cut her off. "Go to the FDA then."

"The FDA can't arrest these goons for murder," I said.

He looked at me. "The FBI can't either! What do we have? Pieces of information. Investigators and doctors receiving funds. A firm that made money off of its investments. A dead woman who recorded some fuzzy video, and those two guys who happened to come into her store. We can't prove they killed her, and we have nothing linking them to VolcaniC. Hell, we can barely make them out." He stood up and started pacing.

"Let me also point out that based on what Bella heard that night, we may not even be able to prove that the two guys who attacked Jake and Nessie are one and the same. She only heard them speak. So unless Jake and/or Nessie actually _saw_ them – which we won't know until we find them – we have nothing. What? Bella identifies them by doing a _voice line up_?"

"They do voice line ups, you know. Besides, I identified you, didn't I?" I blurted.

He stopped in his tracks. "I'm not doubting what you heard, Bella. But you KNOW that the FBI requires more proof than this. Unless you can link Demetri and Felix to VolcaniC, and prove they played a part in bribing physicians, we have nothing."

I got up and stood in front of him. "Why are you so angry? Just because she suggested going to your father?"

He put his hands to his head and tugged on his hair. "All of it pisses me off. Doctors taking bribes and falsifying data so they can get more money. People being harmed." He waved at the TV. "One of those companies on VolcaniC's investment list developed the drug that was causing the kidney damage in Carmen and a bunch of other patients. It was one of the things James and I had honed in on right before everything went to hell. What the fuck happened to the Hippocratic Oath? It makes me almost happy that I'm not a doctor anymore."

He took a deep breath.

"THEN she wants us to go to Carlisle with this. I haven't seen the asshole in years, and she wants me to walk up to him with a bunch of coincidental events and say, 'Hey Dad, remember me? The son you didn't support and helped wrongly imprison? Well, here I am; can you help me now?' Bull-fucking-shit! I'm not asking him for anything!"

The atmosphere was quiet and tense when he finished his rant. To some extent he was right. We still didn't have the smoking gun, and given his history with his father, I could understand his unwillingness to go that route. For my part, I wanted to get through step one of finding Jake and Nessie before we moved on to reporting these wrongdoings to the authorities. I reached for his hand and squeezed it to show my support. Our eyes met and I could see his anger starting to subside.

Finally, Emmett said, "Okay, so what's our plan other than _not _seeing Daddy Cullen?"

Alice cleared her throat. "It's going to take you at least eight hours to drive back to San Francisco, and that's if you hit no traffic, which is unlikely given the constant state of construction. I think you should go gas up and get whatever provisions you might need." She nodded at Edward, pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket, and handed it to him. "Get yourself a different motorcycle jacket and helmet. Any other color. You're leaving this bike behind, but you'll likely need one of your other ones to get around the city as you divide and conquer. I've got new prepaid cell phones for each of you so that you can keep in contact with each other while you're up there."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Won't we be together when we go find them?"

"Bella, you need to stay out of sight," she said pointedly. Then she turned to the rest of the group. "Guys, get going. You might want to take a little nap later since you'll be driving all night. I'll get stuff ready here so you can head out by eight."

"Bossy little thing, isn't she?" Garrett said, looking at Edward as he followed Emmett out of the room.

Edward shook his head. "That's nothing." Then he turned, leaned down and kissed me softly. "We'll be back soon." Backing away, he winked and said, "Don't nap without me." Then he left and I heard them shut the front door behind them.

Alice gestured at me. "Come with me." We went to her room and she pulled out a fancy designer bag from her closet.

"What's that?" I asked.

"That is going to be your bag of tricks. Provisions for you, and you alone."

Provisions? For a second I wondered if she was going to be like Goldie Hawn's friend in _Foul Play_, and hand me brass knuckles, a screaming siren, and mace. _Yeesh, if they get that close to me, I think I'd rather have my frying pan. Or Goldie's umbrella._

She flitted around her room, grabbing bags from under her bed and closet. "You're going to be by yourself for awhile. I'll be in communication with you all as I keep trying to find more information, and you'll have the Netbook you were using before. You need to be prepared for almost anything. The good news is you're smart and can really think on the fly. That's going to be your biggest strength. That said, you still need to think of back-up plans and exit strategies ahead of time."

She was right and I had been thinking about it since the guys announced they were coming with us. Now that she'd pointed out I needed to keep hidden, I realized the best possible scenario was for me to sit somewhere while they found Jake and Nessie and brought them to wherever I was holed up. However, things could change quickly, and they might need my help. What if by some odd circumstance, we ran into Demetri and Felix? A mere change in my hairstyle wasn't exactly a clever disguise. I might need to run into a crowd and just lose myself.

Alice seemed to be right with me. I watched as she pulled out some low heels from another bag, and a lightweight, short, tan trench coat. I picked them up and noted they were too big for her. "What's this?"

"Clothes."

"Yeah, I see that. They're my size. Where did you get them?"

"I work at a boutique part-time. I stopped in before I came home."

Jeez, this woman was full of surprises. "You work at a _boutique_?"

"Superheroes have day jobs you know, even millionaire ones," she said with a smile. "It's the Oracle's cover." She neatly folded the coat and put the heels on top of it. "Anyway, take these. The Marc Jacobs bag goes nicely with it and dresses up the outfit. You really need to be a chameleon when you're up there."

I looked at the designer goods and then back at her. "Alice, I'm not going to a ball; I'm on the run. I'm thinking baseball hats, running gear, and a knapsack would be better-suited for what I have to do. What could I possibly use this fancy-wear for?"

Her big blue eyes gazed at me steadily. "For when you go to see my dad," she said.

_Shit._ I shook my head. "Alice," I began, "Edward-"

"Yes, I know. Edward's points were valid. But remember: back-up plans and exit strategies, Bella. You've got to consider every possibility. Hear me out," she said as she pulled out a wig…

~#~

Several hours later, after some naps and nourishment, we finally readied to leave.

Alice said her goodbyes to Emmett and Garrett before throwing her arms around her brother. "I'll be with you all the way," she said quietly.

Edward hugged her tightly. "I know you will. Thanks for everything, sis. You've been amazing, as always."

"You be safe and come back to me," she said, as they stepped out of their embrace. "I'm holding your bike hostage, after all. You have incentive to return."

Edward smiled widely. "Seeing you again is incentive enough."

Alice grinned, and then hugged me. "You've really changed him, Bella. Thank you for bringing him back to life," she whispered.

"He's had the same effect on me," I admitted.

She let go of me and nodded. "I know. Now go up there, find your friends, and kick some bad guy ass, okay?"

I laughed. "Okay. Thanks, Alice."

As we approached their SUV, I asked, "Should we drive in shifts?"

"Emmett and I will split the driving," Garrett said. "You two should stay in the back, in case we hit any cameras along the way. These windows are tinted." Emmett tossed the keys to him and he nodded. "Okay, I've got the first shift," he said, unlocking the car and sliding into the driver's seat.

I settled in behind Emmett. Garrett started the engine and the radio came on full-blast. "Sorry," he said as he turned it down to a more normal level.

I started to buckle up, but Edward pulled me over to sit in the middle next to him.

"You're going to make me sit in the middle seat?" I asked as I wiggled around a bit testing it out. It was surprisingly more comfy than most.

He leaned down and nuzzled behind my ear. "Are you uncomfortable?" he whispered seductively.

_Oh, who needs comfort when Edward is whispering in your ear?_

Seeing my reaction, he reached over my lap, grabbed the seatbelt and pulled it around me, securing it. "There," he said, "now you can't go too far."

"How far did you think I was gonna go?"

The interior lights started to dim and I caught a devilish gleam in his eyes. "All the way, darlin'," he said in a low voice. "With me, you'd go all the way."

_Oh God! Is he propositioning me in front of them?_ My mouth dropped open as yet another of his blatant innuendos became clear and I made a face, gesturing toward the guys in the front seat. He grinned. "You're so fun to tease." Then he put his arm around my shoulder. "Over there was too far from me," he said as he pulled me closer and we waved at Alice as we drove off.

Emmett fiddled around with the radio stations for awhile, but eventually gave up in frustration, since apparently nothing was doing it for him. "Doc, we've got a long way to go and we have to stay awake. Give us a little Tunes action."

"What?" Edward asked.

"That's Emmett-speak for 'throw some trivia our way,' " Garrett said.

"You don't have CDs in there?" Edward asked, pointing at the stereo.

"Of course we do, but that's not gonna keep us alert. We need to get our brains working. Plus the trivia is more fun."

Edward chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. "Okay let me think," he said. "Hmm." After a short time, he said, "Got one." Then he leaned over and whispered in my ear, his hot breath once again sending shivers down my spine, "You can't play."

I pulled back to look at him. By now our eyes had adjusted to the darkened car interior. "Why? Are you going to recycle some questions I already know?"

"No, not recycling. Just thought you should give others a chance, you know?" he said, reminding me of one of our late-night conversations.

"I'm not that competitive. I called in to talk to you."

He smiled. "And that made me very happy." Then he leaned back in and whispered, "But Emmett's ego couldn't take it if you beat him again."

"Doc," Emmett groaned, turning around to look at us, "she can't play if you just told her the answer. Now give us our first question."

"See what I mean?" Edward muttered. Then he spoke louder. "She doesn't need my help, buddy; she'd kick your ass at this on her own. But I wasn't telling her shit, Em. I was making out with her. Thanks for interrupting."

I whipped around to stare at him. "What? No he—"

Suddenly his hand was cupping my face and he was kissing me. I thought I might burst in to flames due to the combination of embarrassed flush and the heat from my instant excitement. I wasn't sure if I'd ever get used to his kisses; every time our lips touched, I felt it _everywhere_.

He pulled back way sooner than I wanted, and pushed my hair back from my face. "Okay, Emmett," he said, still looking at me, "I think you've got a fighting chance now. I distracted her." He smirked and winked at me.

_Distracted me!_ Oooh, for a moment I wished I was brazen enough to palm his package right there and tell him to distract this! But I wasn't, so I wouldn't; however the thought made me chuckle evilly inside.

"What?" he asked, his expression going from amusement to confusion. Apparently, I hadn't kept that evil laugh to myself.

I smirked, and then tried to play it off innocently. "Sometimes I just think funny things." I said, batting my eyes at him.

He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Hmm. I see those wheels churning, sweetheart. I think that sometimes you think _wicked_ things."

_Yeah, because of you, mister!_

"Doc…"

Without missing a beat, Edward turned and launched into a question. "This folksinger-slash-songwriter began his career writing songs that became hits for other singers. His biggest commercial success, however, came from his live album, in which he mixed live performances with other moments from his bus or hotel room."

"Name the artist, his highest-rated song, and for the gold star, the hit song he co-wrote with Glenn Frey for the Eagles."

"Oooh!" I raised my hand. The guys also yelled out "Got it!" at the same time. Edward took my hand and brought it to his mouth to give my knuckles a soft kiss. "Seems like everyone thinks they know it."

I grinned. "I don't know about anyone but me," I said.

"You've got it," he whispered, his eyes crinkling with his smile, "as always."

"Yeah, but let Emmett answer," I whispered back.

"Go, Emmett," Edward said, still smiling at me.

"Jackson Browne. _Take It Easy_ is the Eagles song. And _Somebody's Baby_ was his biggest hit, probably because it was part of the _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_ soundtrack." He paused. "Funny, that song always reminds me of the first time I saw Rosie."

"Really? When was that?" I asked.

He turned in his seat. "June 25, 1996," he said with a grin. "I was teaching auto mechanics and repair at a high school in Riverside, and working at a garage. Rosie came in one day when her parents' car had a flat. Turns out she had a thing for cars. She started coming in regularly to learn about fixing them, and it turned out she had a natural talent for it."

"Did you start dating right away?"

"Nah, we became friends. I never thought of asking her out; she was eight years younger than I was, gorgeous, and turned every head in town. She dated rich guys with fancy cars. I was a poor teacher with two jobs," he said, wistfully. Then he got serious.

"All of that changed when one of the rich assholes she dated thought it would be fun to take Rosie out for a 'ride' with his friends. She managed to fight them off and showed up cut and bruised at my apartment. I went and found the asshole and his friends and things got out of control. I beat him up really badly and then ended up in prison for attempted murder. Luckily, the sentence was on the lighter end of what I could have gotten, given the character witnesses I had on my side."

He smiled. "Rosalie visited me a lot in Folsom. Along the way, I realized she loved me as much as I loved her. We married the day I got out. I wanted to work again, save money, and take her on a fancy honeymoon, but she was pregnant like a minute later. Everything else happened like we told you earlier." He sighed. "You know, I still haven't taken her on that fancy honeymoon. The garage and Hallie take up all of our time."

"Where would you go?" I asked.

He sat up straighter. "Oh, well, I have a whole plan. I want to buy her a BMW, but do European delivery. I'd take her to Munich to pick it up. Go on the factory tour there. Drive around the Autobahn breaking it in. That's on her bucket list. And mine."

"Bucket list? You mean, like before you 'kick the bucket?' "

"Yeah. That's why I say it isn't our time yet. I have a bunch of things on my list and I don't plan on kicking off until I've done them. I mean, you've gotta have some fun dreams, right?"

_Everyone I know, everywhere I go, people need some reason to believe._

I nodded. This was more interesting than trivia; it was nice getting to know my new 'family.' "What else is on the list?"

"Hmm, well if we go to Germany, I'd like to take Hallie to see that King Ludwig castle that the one in Disneyland is based on, while she's still a little girl and into princess stuff."

"I want to tour some of the famous locations of the French and American Revolutions," Garrett said as he pointed to himself. "Rebel."

"I want to hit some of the major baseball parks of the US," Edward said. I nodded, remembering how much _Tony_ liked baseball.

"I'd like to be picked to do a half-court shot at an NBA game," Emmett said. "Don't know if I'd make it, but I think it would be fun as hell to go for it."

"Kate wants to play paintball sometime," Garrett chuckled. "I know it's silly, but it seems like it could be fun."

I laughed. "I've done that. It is fun."

"Let me guess," Edward said. "Mr. Crooked took you, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Mr. Aro. It was great. I was rolling out of the way and shooting. He said I was a natural."

"I'll bet you were." He shook his head. "That guy…"

I listened to them talk as I shifted so that I was facing Edward and snuggled into the crook of his arm, laying my face against his chest and inhaling his nice Edward smell as I watched the scenery fly by us outside the car window.

_Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels…_

I processed through the various things we'd learned today and marveled at the strange turn of events that led me to be sitting here in this car, heading back with my new friends to save my old ones.

_I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels…_

As they continued to list their bucket items, my mind churned through all the things I wanted to do and see, and as I thought about them, Edward's presence in those potential experiences loomed large. I hoped we could make it through this and get to do some of these things together, including being together physically. Our connection was undeniable and for the first time ever, I was actually looking forward to sex.

I started getting sleepy as I rested in his warm embrace. During "naptime," I really hadn't slept. After a nice but brief make-out session, I was too keyed up, so I processed through the potential back-up plans and exit strategies as I watched him sleep. As the conversation buzzed around me, my exhaustion finally hit me. My lids were heavy and I was struggling to stay awake when he hugged me tighter and kissed my head. "Get some rest, my Izzy-Bella," he whispered.

_You're definitely on my bucket list, Edward,_ I thought as I fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N2: Edward might be on my bucket list too… ;) What's on yours?**

**Thank you, as always, to the mahbelous Irritable Grizzzly (who just won the Best Beta Sparkleteer award! And freaking stayed up 'til 7am to get this to me today, like the vampire she is…) **

**Please review. **

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from Jackson Browne's Running on Empty and line from the movie Arthur._

_FYI - King Ludwig castle in Bavaria: __Neuschwanstein. It really is beautiful._


	20. Three Dog Night

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: Thank you to DeeDreamer and RAoR for the great review of this story. The link to the Random Acts of Rob website is on my profile for those of you who haven't seen it. _

_I wish you all a wonderful 2011!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**Three Dog Night: Mama Told Me Not to Come**

**#**

_I'm reaching for the Cheetos when I hear the commotion. Dad's voice is calm. but then two shots ring out. "Charlie!" Mom screams as she runs toward him. I hear a third shot and the god-awful thud of another person falling to the ground._

_The worker who'd been stocking shelves nearby turns and gestures for me to go, but I'm frozen to the spot. Suddenly, there's a hand over my mouth and I take a breath as if I'm going to scream. "Shhh," the familiar voice says. "I've got you Izzy-Bella." I look into my abductor's green eyes and I realize it's Edward who has me in his grasp. He pulls me with him to crouch low in the shadows in the corner of the store._

_I turn to the worker in the aisle and it's… Edward? He's still waving at me to get back. I see one of the gunmen as he passes by at the other end of the aisle, heading to another part of the store. I gasp as I recognize his face: Demetri. _

_My heart is beating wildly. Worker Edward doesn't know Demetri might be coming and I have to warn him. I free myself and stand up. _

"_Here. Take this," Alice says, holding out her Ruger. "Kick some bad guy ass." _

"_Alice?" I ask in shock. "What…?" I blink and she's gone._

_The Edward who'd been holding me tries to pull me back to safety. The Edward in the aisle is desperately motioning for me to hide, when suddenly I see Demetri turning the corner behind him._

_A calm, familiar voice says, "Put him down, bella donna." _

_I look at my long-lost friend. "I can't kill anyone, Mr. Aro."_

_His gaze is somber yet caring as ever. "Would you rather see someone you care about hurt?"_

"_No," I respond, "but-" The words die in my throat as I notice Demetri raising his gun. I gesture to Aisle Edward, trying to get him to flee, but I'm only able to speak in fragments: "Edward… gun!"_

_Abductor Edward grabs me. "Bella," he says urgently, "it's okay." I try to wrench free but his grip is like steel. _

"_Please let go! I have to-" A shot rings out and Aisle Edward falls to the ground in front of us._

"_NO!" I cry. "Edward!"_

"_Shhh," Abductor Edward says, crumpling to the ground with me. "Shhh, it's okay, Bella… You're okay."_

"_NO!"_

"_Shhh…"_

"Edward!" I gasped.

"Shhh, I'm here," a soothing voice said from the darkness.

"Is she okay?" another voice asked.

Disoriented, I quickly took in my whereabouts. I was practically on Edward's lap, clutching his shirt. We were still in the car. It was a dream.

I took a few slow deep breaths to calm myself. "Yeah, I'm okay. I was dreaming," I said, looking at him as I unclenched my fists to let go of his clothes.

Edward caressed my face and then leaned in for a soft kiss. "You said my name."

"I can imagine," I said, offering what I hoped was a smile. "You're on my mind a lot."

"You also said _gun_," Emmett said from the driver's seat. "Let's hope you didn't dream of shooting him."

I sighed. Was there some reason I never got to have the good type of dream? I mean, if ever there was a time that one would have a hot sex dream, wouldn't you think it would happen when you're snuggled in the arms of the beautiful man who made your toes curl and everything tingle anytime he kissed you? Here he was - physically in my grasp - and I dreamt of guns. And Alice and Mr. Aro.

"I said gun?" I asked, trying to stall a little as I became more alert. I started to pull away so I could sit up, but Edward's arm kept me firmly up against him. His gaze was intense as he seemed to be trying to read my thoughts. Thank God he couldn't.

Of course, the gun dream made complete sense. Alice and I argued about this before we left…

~#~

Alice flitted around her room like the Tasmanian Devil, grabbing things and putting them on the bed: Two sets of keys. A Bluetooth headset. Bobby pins. A headband. A box of temporary hair dye. A pair of wide-legged gray pants. I shook my head in amazement. When she pulled out a Glock and an ankle holster, I felt the need to speak up.

"What the hell? No," I said, splaying my hands out in front of me. "Just… no."

"Take it," she said.

"An ankle holster? I don't run around with concealed weapons, you know; I'm not James Bond."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Because based on what you and Edward told me, you seem to have a lot of interesting skills."

I pointed at the gun. "Wearing a gun on your ankle takes some getting used to. I can't put it on and just start walking normally."

"How do you know that?"

"My dad was a cop, and my neighbor in Phoenix taught me a lot about guns."

"Including how to shoot, right?"

"Yes."

She grabbed my hand and plunked the gun and holster into it.

I put the items on the bed. "Alice, I can't have this on me. What if we're stopped by the police as we're driving back?"

"If you do, that's the least of your worries, don't you think? Besides, if you are stopped, invoke my dad's name. Don't hesitate; I don't care what Edward says."

"He'll have a fit if I do that!" I thought of our brief conversation earlier. "To tell you the truth, I'm with him. I don't want to see Carlisle. I still don't understand how he could have thought that Edward murdered his wife and then turn him over to that detective..."

She sat down on the bed next to me. "To be honest, Edward _was_ different when he was with Tanya."

My jaw dropped and I huffed. "Are you siding with your dad?"

"No! I'm just trying to put it all in context and give you his perspective." She looked down at her hands folded on her lap. "I've spent a lot of time thinking about this, as you can imagine, since it tore my family apart." She shook her head. "He wasn't the Edward he is with you. You calm him."

"You all keep saying that, but what does it even mean?"

"Despite the crazy situation you're in now, he's at ease with you. You don't ask for anything except that he be himself." She looked at me, her eyes wide and earnest. "But he always has been with you. Underneath all that hair and the fake name, the guy you got to know each night both on- and off-air was the real Edward. And now, with each part of his past that is put to rest, he's more… present."

THAT I understood, because I felt more alive in his arms than I ever have. I guess I really didn't have to wonder if the feeling was mutual. Alice was right; it was clear that it was.

Her face hardened.

"But Tanya… made him frantic. She always wanted more – more attention, more material things. You know that vulnerable part of Edward that reaches out to you and wants reassurance that you're there for him?" I nodded. "She played with it. She preyed upon it. He was so desperate to please her that he turned into a different person." She shook her head bitterly. "Ironically, his residency was good for him because it gave him some distance from her spell, but it also led her to James, and eventually to her death. By then it was too late. My parents felt like the son they knew was gone.

"As I told you, Edward and Dad used to be inseparable until Tanya entered the picture. Then Edward made his choice and so did Dad and Mom."

The thought of this unnecessary family break-up made me sad. Poor Edward. My family was taken away from me, and his walked away. She'd told me that Edward and Carlisle used to call themselves the "Dynamic Duo" when Edward was a little boy.

"Believe it or not, the separation took a toll on Dad. He would never admit it, but he really missed his bond with his son. Then by a stroke of luck, his father/son time got filled with a new distraction just about seven months before Tanya's death. He became mentor to a junior detective in the SFPD. The guy was just around Edward's age. The next thing you know, Dad is inviting him to his club and sponsoring his membership."

I shook my head. "And then this is the guy who takes the lead on Edward's investigation."

"Yep. Detective Voltorini. Part of Carlisle's mentoring was the time spent coaching him on being a great cop: justice, fairness, preparation."

"I wonder if _he_ got the Spanish Inquisition lecture."

Alice looked surprised. "Did Mom tell you that?" I shrugged and nodded. "Wow. Nobody's heard that," she said quietly. "I doubt Dad mentioned it. That's the "Cullen Code", only between us, and especially between him and Edward. It died when their relationship did."

_Interesting._ Was Alice correct? Had he kept that only among the family members? I wondered how close Carlisle actually was to this guy.

"Aside from showing up with the police to bring him in, do you think Carlisle helped Voltorini with the investigation?"

"Mom says no. He didn't help with evidence-gathering, he just didn't try to keep him out of jail." She paused for a moment. "I think Dad went after Edward to show his mentee that justice needed to be done, no matter the cost."

"I'm not liking your dad any better right now."

"I know, Bella. Believe me, neither am I. But I really feel like you need to get him involved."

I shook my head. "Look, all these bad feelings and history aside, Edward's right. I don't think we have enough to show him yet." I stood and looked out the window. "How would I even get in to see him? The head of the Bureau must be a busy man, don't you think? I can't say Edward sent me. Do I mention you?"

She snorted. "I'm not exactly on his fave list either."

I turned to look at her. "Why?"

"I was on a path to being the bright star in the FBI when I left the trainee program. They put up quite a fight trying to get me to stay. When I refused, it was a little embarrassing for him. His daughter up and leaves…to do nothing."

"Does he know what you do now?"

She shrugged. "I do have some legitimate work, like the boutique. I also act as a consultant on tough coding projects. As for my Oracle/Brandon alter-ego: the data gathering that I do is for both public and private information, but I'm not in it to make a buck. I'm in it to bring things to light that need to be. So if he does know, he'd need to prove I did something harmful to make a case against me. And then he'd have to face the wrath of our mom. That's not happening. He already lost one kid due to his actions, and he's not about to go for two." She glanced away for a moment. "That said, he's not exactly friendly toward me. His choice, not mine."

_Whoa, this family. Talk about dysfunctional. They need therapy more than I do. I wonder if Jasper has a group rate… _

"So, back to the issue at hand." I said. "I can't mention you or Edward. And saying Esme's name might open a can of worms."

"Well," she said, putting the loose items in plastic baggies, "it just so happens that luck might be on our side…"

_~#~_

A familiar, musical voice over the speakerphone suddenly brought me out of my reverie. "Okay Garrett, I found a few of the guys you mentioned," Alice said. "Interestingly, they all kind of live in the same region: Outer Richmond."

"Carmen and El live out that way too," Edward said. "Oh, Em, take the next exit."

I looked out the window and noticed that we were just heading into the city from the Bay Bridge.

"Then what?" Emmett asked.

"I usually go through the Mission, and then take 17th through Cole Valley. It's a little windy, but there's likely to be less traffic at this time of the day."

"Sounds good."

"Wait." I said. "That- that sounds like… are we going back to YOUR apartment?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

I shifted. "What do you mean 'why'? We can't go back there. There's a big chance they're on to you by now, don't you think?"

He looked shocked. "Why would you say that?"

"Maybe I've been hanging around Alice too much, but I'll bet by now they've accessed my phone records, right? They'd see I had a habit of calling in to KFOG for four nights a week for months, and that the calls lasted a long time. It wouldn't take them long to connect the dots that I'd been talking with you. They wouldn't know we were strangers at the time, and would assume we were friends." I glanced around at everyone. "I'll bet your place is being watched."

"Good thinking, Bella," Alice said. "She's right, guys. I wouldn't go there. They seem to have no problem using force if needed."

Edward ran his hand through his hair. "Well, then, where do we go? We need some sort of home base and a place to stash Bella."

"Isn't it obvious?" she huffed. "You go to Mom's place in Seacliff."

Suddenly, Edward's arm was off of me and he leaned forward to get closer to the phone. "Excuse me?"

Alice and I had already discussed this. I touched his shoulder and he looked at me. "It makes sense. If they've figured out I had something going on with Tony Masen, the next step would be to find out who Tony Masen is. They'd probably uncover your real name and that you're estranged from your parents. Your mom's place is likely to be one of the last places they'd suspect."

"They haven't come near Mom's house," Alice said. "I monitor the external security cameras around her home from here. That's the place to go."

He turned back to face the phone. "How would we even get in, Alice? I've never been to this house and I certainly don't have keys."

_Oh man, this will go over well._ "I do," I said quietly.

He whipped around. "What?" he asked tensely.

I shrugged, trying to keep this calm. "Alice gave them to me. Along with the security code." He looked annoyed and opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "Look, it's our best option. You can be angry with me after we're done, but right now it's counterproductive. We need to be a team here," I said, putting my hand out, silently asking for his.

He looked at me steadily and I stared back, fighting the uncomfortable need to look away. This was the right thing to do and I wasn't going to back down. Finally, he took my hand and squeezed it. I smiled and nodded, then leaned in to kiss him gently. His demeanor softened instantly as he nodded and sat back in his seat. "Casa de Esme, it is," he sighed.

"Damn, Bella," Emmett said, grinning at me in the rearview mirror. "Whatever calming spell you know, can you teach it to me? Because I sure could use some of that when Rosie's on the warpath."

"Try chocolate," Alice piped in. "Bella's magic is for one person only."

Edward let go of my hand and put his arm around me once again, pulling me close. "Damn straight," he said softly, as he kissed my head. "Okay, where exactly in Seacliff, Alice?"

~#~

About twenty-five minutes later, we pulled up in front of Esme's home on 29th Avenue. It was still dark when we exited the car and made our way up the front path to her very large three-story home.

"Jesus, it's freezing here," Emmett hissed.

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco," Garrett said.

"It's definitely a three-dog night," Emmett muttered.

I unlocked the door and punched in the code once we were inside. "Ah, stop being a baby, Emmett. At best it's only a two-dogger," I said, carrying on with his musical reference as I closed the door behind him. I knew Three Dog Night got their name from an aboriginal custom of keeping warm on cold nights by sleeping in a hole and embracing a "dingo," aka: Dog. The colder it was, the more dogs.

He whirled around, his eyebrows raised. I smirked. "Well, definitely more than one dog. That's pretty _Black and White_."

He grinned and then clapped Edward on the shoulder. "Oh, Doc, I love this girl. Marry her, please."

My eyes might have bugged out as I flushed. _Marry me? Jeez, I was hoping for some fooling around! _

Edward and I looked at each other, and he smiled at my reaction. "First things first, Em," he said, keeping his eyes on me as he answered his friend. Then he stood in front of me and said, "Bella and I need to spend some... _quality time_ together, away from you jokers before we go marching down the aisle." He put a hand on my waist, leaned in and kissed me softly right behind my ear. "Real quality time, darlin'," he whispered. I gasped and he chuckled.

"Breathe, Bella," Emmett joked.

Garrett cleared his throat. "Listen kids, I hate to break up your little love fest there, but we should get Bella settled in and then get moving."

I pulled back and narrowed my eyes in warning. Edward grinned in response, his fingers playing at my hip. I took a deep breath, and tried to regain my composure, then nodded. "Okay, let's get the lay of the land in this monster house and figure out where everything is."

We roamed around, quickly taking in Esme's beautiful home. Not surprisingly, it was artfully furnished; she had exquisite taste. The house was spacious and airy, with hardwood floors, high ceilings, crown molding, and many windows throughout. As the sky started to lighten, we got a glimpse of the views from the various floors. The master bedroom even had a deck off the French doors.

I settled into one of the two guest rooms on the second floor; it had a fabulous marble bathroom that was almost as big as my bedroom in my apartment. I had no idea whether I'd be sleeping here, but I planned on trying out the steam cabinet/shower as soon as I could.

About thirty minutes after we arrived, the guys had used the facilities, worked up a plan, and munched on the few snacks I was able to find. Meanwhile, I tried not to feel sad as they readied themselves to take off to find my friends. They were here to help me and throwing myself a pity party wasn't useful. Suddenly, Edward grabbed my hand, dragged me to the dining room, and closed the door behind us.

Before I knew it, he'd spun around and was wrapped around me, his kiss almost desperate. I could barely breathe as I kissed him back, and after a moment, he let go, grabbed my hands, and raised them to his lips, kissing each so sweetly.

"I don't want to go," he said quietly. "I have this overwhelming desire to protect you… not that you need it but-"

"What are you talking about? You _have _protected me for the past three days. You got me out of town and kept me safe."

He looked down at our joined hands. "You know, the whole car ride back, I thought I'd prepared myself for this, but I can't stand the idea of being apart." He looked into my eyes. "I feel like I've waited forever to find you and I don't want to let you go."

His words gave me goose bumps because they echoed my feelings completely. I just didn't have the words yet to define it.

"I know," I said, wishing I could be as eloquent. "This separation feels odd. We've practically been joined at the hip for almost three days."

He licked his lips. "Not quite… but I do plan to have some hip joining as soon as we're in the clear."

_Holy clear intentions, Batman! He does this on purpose!_ I decided right then that I need to get bolder if I was ever going to make it to that point with him and not pass out.

I kept his gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Do ya? Just one hip?"

He blinked in surprise and then smiled wickedly. "No ma'am. Definitely both hips," he said, grabbing my butt and pulling me flush against him in demonstration.

Suddenly all I could think about was his half-naked self thrusting into me yesterday when we were alone. _Keep it together, girl._ Somehow I managed to look relatively composed. "Well THAT'S good to know…"

His smile widened and then he dipped down to kiss me as he tightened his grip. The kiss conveyed everything that seemed to be going on between us – friendship, trust, desire – and I actually moaned a little. _God help me; if his kissing is this good…_

A knock on the door broke our moment. "Doc, we should get going."

We were both breathing heavily again when we he leaned his forehead against mine. His face turned serious once more. "You'll be okay?"

I nodded. "Of course. Alice and I are going to continue trying to find the smoking gun."

"All right. We'll call you when we've got them." He opened the dining room door to join Emmett and Garrett.

"Bike first, right, Doc?"

"Yes, we'll call Eleazar on the way."

I stood at the door and raised my hand, ready to wave goodbye, when suddenly the light from the foyer hit Nessie's ring. I'd gotten so used to wearing it, I'd almost forgotten about it. I ran down the path after them. "Wait!" I hissed.

Edward turned and smiled. "Missed me already?"

"Uh, yesss, and I also thought you might need this," I said, taking the ring off and handing it to him. "Jake might need some proof that I sent you. Tell him…" I thought for a second. When I left Jake several days ago, he wasn't a huge fan of "Tony." I hoped he wouldn't give Edward any problems. "Tell him: I took a chance on you."

He looked puzzled for a moment and then shoved the ring in his jeans pocket. "Will he understand this better than I do?"

I nodded. "I think he will." I kissed him and then backed away. "Go."

~#~

Three hours later, I tried not to worry that I hadn't heard from them yet. After a quick shower in the fabulous bathroom, I'd put on a pot of coffee and munched on a granola bar. Then I settled in at the kitchen table with the Netbook to review the files we'd already seen, hoping we'd missed something. Coming up short, I got my backpack and pulled out my notebook to capture the moving parts. Although I was as electronic-savvy as the next guy – except for Alice of course – I liked to see things on paper. I'd spent so many years noodling on games and puzzles, it was a natural habit.

I started cataloging everything we had:

Events: Flash drive in Victoria's shop. Attacks at Jake's house. Attack in Presidio. Dead body in dumpster.

Bad guys: Demetri. Felix. Randy. Chuck. Kay.

Evidence: Video files. Excel ledger. List of biotech companies. Clinical trial data.

Below this, I wrote the name of our prime suspect: VolcaniC.

I looked up VolcaniC and read whatever information I could about them, jotting down anything that could be relevant. Then I searched for Alec Nicholas. I got a number of hits about him that documented his background, all basically saying that he was from a wealthy family, and was Stanford-educated. The few photos I found showed a handsome man with Mediterranean features: dark eyes, dark hair, Roman nose.

Frustrated with being no closer to the link we needed, I decided to step away from the research for a few moments, and got up to fix myself another cup of coffee. Alice wanted me to go see her dad today. Would he really be able to help? I took a sip and then plopped myself back at the table, looking through the Carlisle page I'd started during our conversation yesterday. Detective Voltorini's name stood out in my notes, so out of curiosity, I searched for him.

As I scanned the hits, I noticed one link description had Carlisle's and Esme's names there too. Clicking into it, a photo soon materialized. It was from several years ago. Carlislie and Esme were standing together smiling for the camera at a society function. Alice had shown me photos of her parents already; however, I marveled once again at their stunning looks. You could see how their children each took some of both of the parents' features.

Tearing my eyes from the Cullens, I took in my first glimpse of Detective Caius Voltorini. He was standing on Agent Cullen's other side, his hand on Carlisle's shoulder. He too was a good-looking man, standing slightly shorter than Edward's dad, and almost polar opposite in coloring. Where Carlisle was blond with bright blue eyes, Voltorini had dark features.

I looked at the caption and read that it had been for some event to raise money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco. I'd seen these society photos before in the Chronicle, and always wondered who the hell these people were. Now I knew: insanely rich people who belonged to Gentlemen's Clubs and had houses in Seacliff, The Ranch, and God knew where else. Scanning the photo, I noticed a man standing in the background. Had I not seen him in my search only moments before, I'd have missed him completely. But there was Alec Nicholas, only a few feet behind Caius Voltorini.

Suddenly, something started gnawing at my gut and it wasn't a good feeling. My gaze bounced between the two men and their similar coloring. While I tried to tell myself I was being silly, I couldn't shake the feeling. I reached for my phone and dialed Alice.

She answered on the first ring.

"Alice, what do we know about Detective Voltorini?"

"Aside from what I told you?" She paused. "Wait, why do you ask?"

I pulled up the Netbook's email program and sent the webpage to her. "I'm sending you a link right now. I decided to find pictures of Caius Voltorini, and this came up." As I waited, I scribbled all the names in my notebook.

"Got it," she said. "Okay, photo of Mom, Dad, the creepy detective. So…oh." She was silent for a moment. "Is that Alec Nicholas behind them?"

"I think so," I said steadily and could almost hear the wheels turning from here. I was staring at the names I'd written, when the letters started dancing around in front of me. I quickly drew some lines dividing the letters of VolcaniC. "Uh, Alice…"

"Yeahhh?" she answered slowly.

"I think I found a weird coincidence." I opened a new email and typed quickly:

Vol/c/a/niC: **VOL**torini/**C**aius. **A**lec/**NIC**holas. Then I pressed send.

"Is there any chance these two guys are related?" I asked.

"Bella…" she whispered. "You don't think-"

"I don't know what to think." I blurted. This had to be coincidence. I was just making up crap…

Suddenly she gasped. "I just got your email. Oh my God! Why didn't I even think to look at Voltorini? How could I miss this?"

Leah's voice rang in my head._ "You're the queen of riddles and puzzles, you geek…" _Right. Riddles, puzzles, words, and letters.

"You've been keeping watch in so many different directions, there's no way you can catch everything. Plus why would you look at him? IF they are related and in cahoots, he must have hidden this well." I thought about it. Alice said this guy had been sponsored by Carlisle for membership at the Pacific Union Club. If he was related to Nicholas, he'd be rich too, wouldn't he? "Is he wealthy?"

"Gosh, Dad always indicated that this guy was from humble beginnings." I could hear her typing furiously.

"So, we have no link between Nicholas, Demetri, and Felix, but the thugs indicated a link to the police and with "Kay." Is his name pronounced _Kay-us_?"

"No, it's _Kye-us_," she said. "Oh, Jesus!"

"What?"

"Well, I'm starting to think there are no coincidences. It seems that Caius is his middle name. His actual name is K. Caius Voltorini."

My stomach sank. "Alice, can we get the genealogy on Voltorini and Nicholas? _Are_ they related?"

"I think that if they are, you're right, that connection will take me a little searching to find. While I look, start getting ready. You've got to go see my dad."

"It's still conjecture."

"I don't care! Do you know that VolcaniC made a fortune off the drug that Edward and James were researching?"

My heart froze. "Are you saying… but... you don't think he framed Edward, do you?" If it was true, this meant the same guys trying to ruin my life were the ones who ruined his.

"I don't know. At this point, I'm willing to consider _anything_. These are all new connections we didn't have yesterday."

"We still need a link between the thugs and VolcaniC, Alec and/or Caius." An email alert popped on my screen. "What's this?" I asked.

"A bunch of photos of Voltorini that I found in my search. I'm running facial recognition on everyone to see if Demetri, Felix or Alec are in any of the photos, but eyeballing won't hurt. Look at them."

I started clicking the photos one after another. "No… no… nothing…" My heart stopped for a moment, and then started up again, going full-throttle as I suddenly recognized someone. "Oh, shit," I whispered.

"Bella…?"

"Uhhh, Alice? In the fifth link you sent, there's a guy talking to Voltorini. That's Chuck, the guy I beat up at Jake and Nessie's house," I said as I stood up quickly.

I was already nodding in agreement when she said, "That's it. Put this on the spare flash drive I gave you and-"

"Yeah, I'll go get ready right now."

"Make sure you're there by 12:30 at the latest!" she said before I hung up.

~#~

An hour and a half later, I'd made my third pass down several streets on the top of Nob Hill, praying to the parking gods to help me find some street parking for Esme's beautiful black CLS-class Mercedes. At first, I was nervous to drive such a fancy car and to have to try to park the damn thing on the street, but at a certain point, I stopped fretting about it; this situation was getting more serious by the minute and scratching her car was the least of our worries.

As it turned out, luck was on my side. Finding a nice parking spot two blocks down on Taylor and Clay, I got out of the car in my fancy Alice-clothes and auburn-colored bobbed wig, and walked until I got to my destination at the Fairmont Hotel. From my location, I had a clear view of the front of the Pacific Union Club*, the private Gentleman's Club across from the hotel, where Carlisle dined the first Wednesday of every month from 11:30am – 1pm. I tried to stay calm as I thought about my plan for approaching him. Alice and I had worked on what words to use; I could only hope this would work.

My fancy Marc Jacobs bag felt like a thousand pounds as I stood on the sidewalk outside the hotel trying to look nonchalant, glancing at my watch and pretending to be waiting for someone. At last, the patrons began leaving the club. I was getting more and more nervous as I finally saw his blond hair among the gray-haired men exiting. He made his way down the stairs, and I quickly crossed the street and walked toward him. It looked like he was checking his BlackBerry.

I called to him. "Agent Cullen? Carlisle Cullen?" I asked, approaching him slowly. He turned and his eyes narrowed as he tried to place me, giving me a chance to take him in up-close. While Edward got his eye and hair-coloring from Esme, he clearly inherited his dad's facial structure. Carlisle was handsome.

"Yes?" he asked politely.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I was hoping to speak to you about some information I've come upon."

His piercing blue eyes scrutinized my every detail. It was clear he was trying to read me. I tried to remain calm, but his stare was a bit unnerving.

Finally he said, "It's highly unusual for someone to bring information to me this way. Is this a matter for the FBI or the local police?"

I took a deep breath. "Well, it involves bribery and tampering with scientific studies, as well as assault and murder."

He frowned and pursed his lips. "I'm sorry, Ms…"

I was about to answer when I heard someone call his name.

"Carlisle!"

Carlisle turned to look at the man approaching us. My view was partially obstructed, so all I saw was the man's hand as he held up a finger. When I heard his voice again, I became frantic. It was a voice I'd heard only once before on the morning I beat up Chuck.

_This is the craziest party there could ever be…_

He was obviously on the phone, because he hissed, "Hold it. I don't care. How hard could it be to find them? They're ordinary civilians, for Christ's sake." He paused. "Tell that moron I want to see him right now. I'm just going into the club for lunch. Have him call me when he gets here. I have to go."

The call ended and the man stepped into view.

_Don't turn on the lights, 'cause I don't wanna see…_

And I finally got my first glimpse of "Kay," also known as Detective Voltorini.

Shit. Could this be any weirder? _That ain't the way to have fun, son._

"Caius," Carlisle said cheerfully as he extended his hand, "good to see you! Are you here for lunch?"

"Yes, I'm meeting one of the club members who wanted to ask what I knew about permits and such for one of his businesses in SOMA. You know Alec?"

Good Lord! He couldn't mean…

"Nicholas? I saw him go inside a few minutes ago," Carlisle answered, confirming my fears. I had Alec and Caius in one spot. They knew each other and I was certain it went beyond "permits."

"Did you just finish the monthly meeting?"

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, and I was just leaving, but you have great timing. This young woman had some information about illegal activities she's become aware of, including assault and murder." I just stared at him, mutely, which he took as a sign to spill his obtuse guts to the villain in my life. "I told her that perhaps starting with the police might be better."

Voltorini looked genuinely concerned and shocked as he addressed me. "Really? Well, I'm about to attend this lunch meeting, but I'll be heading back to the precinct immediately after, and I'd be happy to assist you personally. Perhaps you can come by my office at 850 Bryant? Later this-"

His question was abruptly cut off by the sound of my phone ringing. Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed when the bridge between Boston's _Foreplay_ and _Longtime_ started playing, but I was too stunned. Alice must have programmed it for his call. I grimaced at Voltorini and held out a hand. "Sorry, I have to take this; I've been waiting for this call all day." I turned away and answered.

"Hi," I said, expecting to hear Edward's voice. Instead, I heard the voice of an angel.

"Bella! Oh my God, you're really alive!" Nessie exclaimed.

I gasped quietly and tried to maintain my composure. "Oh, Ne-" I stopped myself before I could say too much, hyperaware of my close proximity to Voltorini. "So are you," I said. "How is he?"

"He's been better. Edward and his friends have been amazing and he's gradually coming around."

She continued. "I can't believe what you've been through. And you got to meet Tony-I mean, Edward- through all this! At our house, no less." Suddenly she dropped her voice and spoke quietly. "Damn, girl, I thought that Tyler was good-looking, but Edward makes him look like a schmoe."

Nessie's voice was like a ray of sunshine amidst all this rain and torture. I wanted to cry, to laugh, to run and hug them both…"I know," I said.

"Look, I know you need to talk with Edward, but I just needed to hear your voice… and tell you we're engaged!"

"Oh, sweetie," I whispered. "That's wonderful!"

"I know! We wanted you to be the first to know so you can be both our best man and maid of honor!"

"I hope so," I said quietly, as if I didn't have a care in the world. "We'll talk more at a later point, okay?"

"Okay," she responded, "Hold on." Then I heard the voice I most needed to hear.

"Hey, you," Edward said." God, I miss you."

"I know, I feel the same."

"Jake was a handful, by the way."

"What happened?"

"We're just lucky he's weak right now, or he would have, and I quote, 'punched my fuckin' lights out.'" He huffed. "He was calmer when I handed over the ring and gave him your message." He paused and then said, "That had better not have been an ABBA reference I passed on."

I wanted to laugh, but I felt ready to cry, standing feet away from the detective who ruined Edward's life. Luckily, he'd taken a call and was pacing away from us as he talked.

"So we have them and we're going to take them to the house now," Edward said.

That snapped me to attention. "No – not a good idea."

"What?"

"Find a different spot. Maybe your friend's house."

"Which friend? Why are you talking in code?"

"We figured it out and we need to get ready. Always expect the Spanish Inquisition, you know?"

It was silent for a moment and I gestured to Voltorini, indicating a few more moments. He indicated he understood and then turned back to chat with whomever he had on the phone. Carlisle, however, was staring at me with a puzzled look on his face.

Suddenly I got the reaction I was dreading. "NO. FUCKING. WAY. You are _not _going to see… Jesus Christ!"

"Okay, okay, don't get agitated. Look, talk to the little one to help sort this out. I'll meet you there ASAP."

"No, Bella, so help me God-"

"I'll see you later," I said, hanging up, then quickly put my phone on 'vibrate', which was wise. Almost immediately after, my phone started buzzing.

I turned to Voltorini. "I'm sorry, detective, but before we got sidetracked, you indicated that you were about to have lunch." I waved my buzzing phone at him and said, "I'm afraid I've run out of time. Will you be at your office late this afternoon? I could come by then."

The two men looked puzzled. "Late this afternoon? Are you sure? My lunch appointment won't be more than an hour."

"No, it's fine. I have to handle something else and then I'll use that time to gather the information I need. I'd merely been trying to make an appointment with Agent Cullen," I said, glancing at Edward's father, who continued to stare at me. Then I noticed another man crossing California Street down the block. It was all I could do to contain my eye-rolling as I watched Felix slowly ambling toward us._ Could there be any more _coincidences_ today?_

Voltorini reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "Here you go."

"Thank you. Is 4:30 too late, uh…" I looked down at the card of K. Caius Voltorini with my best confused face and continued, "Detective Voltorini?"

"Not at all, Ms…" he asked, offering his hand.

Somehow, I managed to suppress the grimace threatening to take over my face and smiled when I took his hand. "Curvato," I said. "Arianna Curvato." I glanced at Carlisle and his face had gone blank. I let go of Caius's hand and then nodded at him. "Sorry to have bothered you, Agent Cullen." I turned and walked across the street to the Fairmont, getting out of the way before Felix got to us.

I entered the hotel and immediately went into a bathroom to change. Soon I was casually dressed in my black hoodie, leggings, and blue tee. I put on my black Mephisto sneakers, removed the wig, and brushed my hair, putting it into a ponytail. All of the previous items went into the Marc Jacobs bag which I dropped into the backpack I had brought with me. The freaking thing was still heavy.

I grabbed the baseball cap out of my backpack, zipped the bag closed, and swung it over my shoulder as I checked my phone for messages. I could see I had six missed calls, all from Edward. Deciding to avoid his wrath for the moment, I dialed Alice instead. She answered immediately.

"I'm still looking for the link and Edward is livid! Why did you give him the Spanish Inquisition line? Didn't you know that-"

"I was trying to reach both your dad and Edward in code at the same time. Your dad handed me off to his friend, _Caius_, who happened to be meeting a guy named _Alec_ for lunch," I said sarcastically. "I left just as Felix was walking toward us."

"Are you kidding me?" she screeched. "Where are you now?"

"I'm in a bathroom at the Fairmont. I just changed and I'm going back to the car," I said, pulling the ladies' room door open. I was just putting the cap on, but pulling my ponytail through one-handed was proving a little tough. "I-"

At that point, I heard a man talking as he turned the corner into my hallway. "I just parked and I'm coming over. Are you there? Yeah, I told you that Kay was on the warpath. He's in there having lunch. We'll need to hang back until he tells us he wants us." He paused. "I'll text him now to let him know we're here." The man ended his call and looked up only to find me staring at him like a deer in the headlights. I was frozen to the spot as the featured goon from my dream this morning stared at me. Within seconds, recognition spread across his face.

_Oh. My. God._

"Well, I'll be damned," he said, then smiled that lecherous grin. "Hello, Isabella. Nice to meet you at last."

_Edward told me not to come._

_I'm fucked._

* * *

**A/N2: Um, oh shit.**

**Next update: two weeks. **

**Thank you, as always, to Irritable Grizzzly, for her evil red pen.  
**

**Please review. (I always reply... AND you'll get an interesting hint about the next chapter. Hmm.)  
**

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from Three Dog Night's Mama Told Me Not to Come_

_Three Dog Night trivia: _

_- Mama Told Me Not to Come was one of three number one hits for Three Dog Night in the U.S. The other two were Joy to the World and Black and White.  
- TDN made Mama Told Me Not to Come into a hit in 1970. The song was actually written by the prolific Randy Newman in 1966. _

_FYI, the quote: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" is often attributed to Mark Twain. Not true. However, summer in SF _is_ damn cold._

_*To be clear, the Pacific Union Club is not a strip club; it is a private club for the elite. They can dine and stay there. Info on it other than that is very hard to come by. It's kind of like Fight Club - first rule: members aren't allowed to talk about it.  
_


	21. Electric Light Orchestra

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: On February 10, cosmogirl7481 and Marvar will lead The Twinklings first readalong of this story (thank you)! Follow cosmogirl7481, marvar29 and twinklings_comm on Twitter to find out the details. _

_Okay, no hatin' on the song. This was always the one I always envisioned for this chapter, odd as it may seem. To quote Billy Joel, "don't ask me why…"_

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**Electric Light Orchestra: Do Ya**

**#**

"_Oh, Baby Bird, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry…"_

_~#~_

When my grandfather got that small bout of 'feetus freezingus'– A/K/A cold feet – three months before the wedding, it was Grams who actually ran. She was nineteen and a little embarrassed by the notion that the entire town of Forks would know her fiancé had abandoned her… so she abandoned him first and left behind the life everyone had planned for her.

This was my favorite Grams story and I made her tell it to me over and over again, despite my mom's disapproval. Grams always said this was one of the best things that ever could have happened to her and Grandpa, even though the story was sad and scary in parts. It made her into the woman I knew and loved, and I took her life lessons to heart.

Grandpa didn't call off the wedding. He just started acting a little funny and one day Grams called him on it. He was young, and even though at the time people got married young, he was nervous and wasn't sure if he was ready for marriage. With the help of her friend Chelsea, Grams took some money and a small bag of clothes, and hightailed it out of town on a ferry to Seattle. From there, she jumped the first train going east.

"_Best impulsive decision I ever made, sweetie."_

For two months, she travelled, stopping in various places and taking odd jobs. A few days here, a night or two there. She waitressed. Cleaned fish. Stocked shelves at a drug store. Met people. Learned how to read them.

Some of the men she worked with during her travels taught her how to play poker, and she became quite good at it. Grams started playing late at night whenever she could, to pick up some extra cash, and often managed to clean her opponents out. One day she overheard a busboy talking about a game that went on after-hours in the back room of the restaurant where they worked, and asked if she could join. He got cleaned out early, but of course Grams was doing rather well. That was the night she met Mr. Aro.

Aro sat opposite her and seemed to dismiss her immediately, which pissed Grams off to no end. He was young, good-looking, arrogant, and a little condescending to the "girl." He also gave away his tells easily, according to Grams, and got very angry when he lost all his money so quickly, causing him to storm off. The other men at the table were cordial and polite, and apologized for his behavior.

"_Ah, but people aren't always what they seem, Bella."_

As it turned out, the nice guys were the bad ones, and the rude one turned out to be the good guy… a lesson she learned the hard way when the "gentlemen" at the table tried to mug her, and much worse.

This was the reason why Mom was upset that Grams told me this story; she didn't like the idea of a little girl hearing about the violence. However, this story was precisely why I paid so much attention in Mom's self-defense classes: because Grams's life gave me a reason to.

"_I was walking home when suddenly the men I'd been playing with, surrounded me. I did what they always tell you to do in a situation like this: I handed over the money and then ran off, figuring they wouldn't bother with me now that they had what they wanted," she said, and shook her head. "But I was still rather clumsy back then, and tripped and fell. It could have been bad, Baby Bird. Really bad. "_

"_But then I showed up and saved Her Gracefulness's butt!"_ Aro interjected, as he walked in on her story._ "I'd hung around to have a smoke after I'd left, when those bums came out and started talking about getting their money back. I thought you might need some help." _

Grams looked at Aro's smiling face, raising her eyebrows and smiling gently before looking back to me. _"Just remember, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. If you ever find yourself in trouble like that, you must pay attention, and then improvise."_

"_For certain,"_ Aro nodded. _"Improvise like hell…"_

**~#~**

Yes indeed, the best laid plans often DO go awry.

I'd parked a few blocks away. I'd changed because I had no idea if Caius was acting, or if he'd caught on to my furtive attempts to clue Carlisle in. My hair was shorter and when I wore the cap, hoodie and sunglasses, I was barely recognizable; moreover, anyone walking with their hood up in the cool San Francisco summer weather wasn't unusual.

I'd _planned_ on changing and slipping out the front of the hotel, past the club, and walking to the car. The cameras would have seen "Arianna Curvato" walk into the hotel, but would have no record of her leaving. The name was significant only to me: it was the one Mr. Aro used whenever he signed me in at the gun range in Phoenix, so it was the name I'd given Alice for my fake ID.

Yes, Alice and I had planned this well…until I found myself face-to-face with the nefarious and scary guy who attacked my friends four nights earlier.

"Hello, Isabella. Nice to meet you at last."

"_Improvise like hell, bella donna."_

I was frozen in the same position, one hand trying to get my pony tail through the back of my cap, the other holding the phone to my ear. Time seemed to stand still, but I knew I had only seconds to react. While I was no Sherlock Holmes, I stared at the goon in front of me and quickly analyzed him, and our surroundings, looking for any angle I could find:

Cameras: None in this hallway. I'd checked that already. It was likely there was one in the elevator to the garage, which was just around the corner.

Witnesses: None. It was surprisingly quiet in this section of the hotel, which was in the opposite direction of the guest elevators.

Opponent: Big. Probably had a gun. A little overconfident. Cell phone in-hand to call the other goon standing outside the Pacific Union Club right at this moment.

Weapons: while Goldie Hawn had a screamer, mace, and brass knuckles to knock out the big bald guy in _Foul Play_, my "weapons" were more limited: hands, knees, feet, elbows, and a heavy-ass bag with some low heels and a nice-sized Glock inside.

"Hello, Demetri," I said calmly. His brows furrowed in confusion as he tried to figure out how I knew his name, and that was all I needed. I whipped the cap off my head and held it up to his face, effectively blocking his view for a second, and then thrust my other arm up and slammed my phone into his mouth and nose.

His hands flew up to his face. "Fuck!" he hissed. Needing to press my momentary advantage, I instantly grabbed him by his jacket and hauled him back with me into the ladies room. Once we were in, I pulled on the jacket a bit more, brought my knee up and connected with his chin before kicking my foot out and making contact with his balls. He dropped his phone and fell to the floor, swearing as blood dripped out of his mouth and nose.

"You little bitch," he groaned.

_This guy is after me and I'm the bitch for defending myself?_

I had just reached around to remove my backpack, when he grabbed my foot and pulled. Dropping the bag with a thud, I fell to my hands and knees and he started to pull me toward him. I wiggled and turned so that my butt was to the floor and then I started kicking. He crawled toward me and got much closer than I wanted as he managed some combination of slaps/punches that connected with my face. I saw stars for a moment but somehow I kept flailing and kicking his face as I reached behind me to get my bag.

He grabbed my feet which stopped my ability to do more damage, but at that point I had hold of the strap of my backpack. He was up and crawling to me when I swung the bag at his head. It knocked him off-balance and off of me, giving me the out I needed. Putting my left hand on the floor, I swung the bag twice more, connecting with the back of his head from my elevated position. Eventually he stopped moving and I realized I'd knocked him out.

Breathing heavily, I stood up and hit him a few more times across the head with the bag to make sure he stayed out. I realized I couldn't leave this guy on the floor, so I opened the door to the stall closest to us, picked him up under his arms, and dragged him in. God, he was heavy, but that weird boost of strength that happens in extreme situations must have been working overtime. I closed the stall door behind him, thankful that these fancy hotel bathrooms had floor-to-ceiling doors; if anyone came in, they wouldn't see him. Then I grabbed the bobby pins from my bag and opened one to shove into the little hole below the lock, fiddling with it until I'd successfully locked the door.

I got some paper towels and wiped up the blood from the floor, then snatched my smashed phone and put it in my pocket. I picked up his phone, took the battery and other guts out, and dropped it back on the floor to stomp on it. Throwing the battery in the garbage and putting the remnants of his phone in my pocket as well, I then splashed water on my face, positioned my cap on my head, and pulled the hoodie up. With my bag on my shoulder, I took a deep breath and then quietly exited the bathroom.

Keeping my eye on Felix's position in front of the Club, I walked out of the hotel, made a couple of rights until I was safely out of the view of the cameras, and then backtracked to the car. By the time I got there, I was shaking and the adrenaline had worn off. I didn't have time to panic, and took a few more deep breaths, dumped Demetri's phone in front of the tire, got into the car, and ran over it for good measure as I drove off.

I drove back to Esme's at a relatively normal speed as if I hadn't a care in the world, so as not to draw attention to myself. The good news was that Esme's windows had some dark tint. Moreover, I'd taken some liberties with her license plates before I'd left the house, modifying the "L" and "3" to "E" and "8," respectively. Yeah, we'd planned the hell out of this one. A fat lot of good it did.

The drive home gave me time to think. I hoped that Carlisle caught on to my message, but the truth was I had no idea if he was even a good guy in all this. It was possible that he was in it with Caius, although his wife and daughter would probably disagree. I just hoped he'd been duped. For all of their sakes, it would be so much better if he was just a stupid man instead of an evil one.

Just yesterday morning, I'd told Edward life was too short to hang onto the anger he'd been harboring toward his parents, particularly his dad. Silly me…I didn't realize how short it REALLY was. I'd been in the middle of the hornet's nest and managed to escape once again, but for how much longer? My luck was bound to run out. I was a swan, not a cat; I sincerely doubted I had nine lives… or even nine near-death experiences. If my number wasn't up, I certainly was next in line.

Before I knew it, I was back at Esme's house, pulling into the empty garage, and closing it behind me. Then I just sat quietly. An odd sense of calm suddenly washed over me as I settled into the realization that they WERE going to get me one way or another. I was smart, but not infallible. I'd goofed several times over the past few days and if I kept this pace, the mistakes would be more frequent. At that moment there were two things of which I was certain: a. I needed to let go of my own anger and resentment, and b. I couldn't let all these wonderful people go down with me. I knew what I needed to do and had limited time to do it.

As I got out of the car, I quickly grabbed my bag and raced into the house. In the kitchen, I grabbed a few granola bars, a bottle of water, and Esme's phone. Taking the stairs two at a time, I dashed into my spare bedroom, and gathered the stuff I had taken out of my backpack earlier and spread it out on the bed, then started folding and stuffing it all into my bag.

Once I was all packed, I decided it to make good on my first resolution to say what I needed in order to let go, and then dialed the number I knew by heart. I didn't know if I'd get him or if he even had the same number anymore, but it was time to end this. I owed him a lot and I needed to tell him that. Disappointed when it rolled into his voicemail, I tried to clear my head and hoped that my words made sense. Then I heard the beep and began talking.

"Um, hi Mr. Aro? It's Bella Sw...well, you know. It's been a long time. I guess you're still in Phoenix, since the number's the same." _God, where to begin?_ "I'll try to make this brief. Sorry I've been out of touch. After you, um, kicked me out, I didn't know why you'd turn your back on me like that…" a lump formed in my throat as tears threatened, "…so soon after Grams passed."

I took a deep breath to compose myself before continuing.

"I had a hard couple of years after grad school. I guess you know I moved to San Francisco, since you send me cards every year, but I…I haven't opened them so I don't know what you've been up to.

"Anyway, I can't be angry at you anymore. I suddenly realized you kicking me out was…a good thing, and it taught me to be independent and make my own mistakes. I've come to realize you taught me more than even you knew at the time, and it's come in handy fairly recently." I chuckled bitterly, and then took another deep breath. "I've also gotten the chance to…" my voice broke, "mm-meet someone wonderful, and I never would have met Edward if it wasn't for you."

My heart felt like it was breaking. _Edward._ I was so lucky to have found him. He'd suffered through so much with Tanya, what happened with his family, and prison. I couldn't stand to see him suffer anymore or, worse yet, get hurt or killed. I needed to end this call so I could get out and away as fast as possible. I swallowed hard and continued.

"A-Anyway, Mr. Aro, I just wanted to let you know that I… I've m-missed you. And I'm sorry. I wish you all the best. N-no more hard feelings. G-goodbye." I ended the call and then covered my face with my hands as I cried even more.

_One down. One to go._

I had barely finished that thought when the door to my room slammed open. I'd been so lost in my message I hadn't heard him enter the house. I stiffened and furtively wiped my tears.

"Yeah," he hissed, "she's here. No, Alice, you can't talk to her right now." He paused. "Because _**I**_ need to talk to her. Just keep watch outside. I set the alarm. Call me immediately if you spot anything."

His footsteps were heavy as he stormed up behind me. Suddenly his hand was on my arm and he spun me around to face him.

"What the fuck, Bella? Why haven't you answered your phone for the past forty minutes?"

I couldn't look at him. My hair covered my face as I looked at my feet. "I couldn't. I was a bit busy."

"Busy? One minute you're hinting that you're going to see my father, and the next Alice is frantically calling me to tell me the last thing she heard was you talking to Demetri before the phone went dead. Did she hear that right?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the mangled phone to show him. "Yes. At a certain point, my phone stopped being functional."

"What the hell happened? Look at me, Goddammit!"

I looked up and his eyes widened when he saw the bruise forming on my cheek. "Jesus." He reached out and gently touched it. "Did you… fight him?"

I nodded, but said nothing.

He looked at the two phones in my hands and then stared at me. "Why are you crying? Did you call somebody?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

He glanced at Esme's phone and frowned. Then he grabbed it and scrolled through the outgoing call list. "Who's in the 623 area code?" I looked away, which only prompted him to press talk. _Shit._ I watched as he put the phone to his ear and waited. A look of surprise took over as he registered who I'd called, and then he quickly hung up. "Why did you call HIM? What the fuck happened?" I started to turn away, but he threw the phone down on the bed and grabbed me again. "Will you fucking look at me? Stop looking away!"

I did. Despite the furious expression on his face, he was still stunning. And clearly unaware of his own strength. "Edward, you're hurting me." He released me and muttered, "Sorry," then paused and gritted his teeth in an attempt to speak like a human being. "Will you please tell me what happened?"

"Didn't Alice fill you in?" I asked quietly.

"Why don't _you_ tell me?"

I wondered exactly how much Alice had told him; did he know about the link between VolcaniC and the drug he and James had been researching? Had Alice voiced any suspicions about Voltorini's possible involvement in Edward's imprisonment? Did he even know about his father's friendship with the creep? I proceeded carefully. "Alice and I found a number of odd coincidences that led us to looking at Detective Voltorini. We couldn't link Demetri or Felix to either Nicholas or Voltorini, but we did find a link between Voltorini and Chuck, the guy I beat up at Jake and Nessie's. We decided it was time to see your father."

"Did you tell him you know me?"

"No, I didn't mention your name outright. I tried to give him a clue, but I don't think he got it." I frowned and shook my head. "Your father is a bit dense. Whatever." I paused. "Did Alice tell you he handed me over to Detective Voltorini to discuss the details?"

He nodded and huffed. "There's a shocker. Now you know what it feels like."

Based on his reaction, it was clear Alice hadn't shared our fear about Caius framing him, nor did it seem that he knew much about his dad. I decided to steer clear of that. "Well, anyway, I recognized his voice instantly. So there I was making an appointment to see _K._ Caius Voltorini. He's expecting me in three hours."

"Fuck that, you're not going in."

"I know. I don't plan on it. I made a late appointment to give me a chance to get away. I had gone into the Fairmont to change and by dumb luck, Demetri was on his way up to meet Felix and Kay. I managed to catch him off-guard and knock him out. Then I came home."

His jaw dropped. "What? That guy looked pretty big from the photo."

"He is."

"Holy shit…" he whispered, and then his eyes softened. "You're really something." Then his brow furrowed. "Wait, I don't understand what that has to do with Mr. Aro. Why would you call hi…?" He paused and I could see the wheels turning in his head. "You made a late appointment to give _you_ a chance to get away? … not _us_." He looked into my eyes and his face went from confusion to surprise as the reason started to dawn on him. "Were you calling to say goodbye? But why…" Then he was suddenly angry again. "No, NO! This isn't over. Emmett said it last night: It's not our time yet, Bella!"

I took a deep breath and held it to calm down. Then I slowly released it, steadying myself. "It's not _your_ time, Edward… or at least it doesn't have to be. But my time is clearly coming. I don't want you to get hurt or killed because of me." My heart felt like it was ripping apart as I said the next few words. "I think we've hit the end of our road together."

"What?" He shook his head and the next thing I knew he had me in his arms. Nudging my head up to look at him, he dipped down to kiss me forcefully. _God, his kisses!_ We were both breathless when he finally pulled away. He shook his head again. "No," he whispered.

I nodded sadly. "I need you to leave this house, and me, behind. Please. For your own sake..."

He let go of me suddenly and backed away to the edge of the bed as he sat down slowly. "Leave you?" he asked. "Jesus, no. We're in this together, no matter how many stupid mistakes you make… not that you've made many. I thought I'd been clear. I won't abandon you."

"Even though I've dragged you into this mess? God, Edward, I may have opened a new can of worms with your dad and Voltorini. You're not angry?"

"Yes, I'm fucking furious at both you and Alice," he said, running his hands through his hair and then dropping them to his lap. "I know she pushed you into seeing Carlisle and gave you all this stuff," he said, waving at the wig and fancy clothes on the bed. "She admitted it. But as you pointed out earlier, it's unproductive right now." He looked down at his hands. "And it doesn't change how I feel about you."

_He won't leave me. It doesn't change the way he feels about me. _

My feelings overwhelmed me and I could barely breathe as I registered it all. I wanted this to be over. I wanted him safe.

And I _wanted_ him.

As the danger threatened to close in on me, my bucket list suddenly shrank to only one thing: Edward. I couldn't hold back anymore. Life was too damn short.

My fears suddenly vanished as I blurted, "I think I love you."

His head snapped up. "Did you just quote The Partridge Family?"

_Is he kidding?_ "Uh, no, I… uh… I quoted Hugh Grant in _Four Weddings and a Funeral_. But are we really talking about the song reference right now?" I asked incredulously.

His face was somber. "You think… or you _know_?"

I closed my eyes and let go. "I know. I guess I've known for a while." _No holding back._ I opened my eyes and looked at my hands. "I first heard your program on October 29th last year. It was a Thursday night. I was having problems sleeping and I started flipping through stations, and suddenly there you were. I still remember the segment verbatim:

"_Tonight's first question is about the "English guys with the big fiddles." This band gained success through a cult following in the U.S. before gaining in popularity in its home country. They had a number of top ten songs, but only one number one hit. Tell me the name of the band and the meaning behind the band's name."_

"That was the first night I called in," I said with a smile. "I… never heard nothin' like you." I paused and looked at him. "Your voice called to me too."

He sat immobile, his eyes wide and staring. I took advantage of his silence to continue my confession.

"You asked if I fantasized about you. I did. A lot. I wondered what you looked like. I dreamt of being with you. Unfortunately, all I knew was your voice. You only let me see you for a few minutes in the garage that day and, well, my fantasies stopped because I was so angry and hurt. But four nights ago, you took care of my cuts. You wiped my tears away. I wanted to touch you back."

I looked down at the floor. "We've been together for three straight days now. I find that I have to look away because you take my breath away. It's like staring into the sun," I admitted. "I've… never seen nothin' like you. You're gorgeous."

I looked at him once again. Our eyes met and he blinked, as if coming out of a trance. He cleared his throat and looked a little amused. "Really? ELO?"

I shook my head. "Does that really matter right now?" I asked in amazement. His face got serious again as he registered my question.

I was nervous. I'd never confessed my feelings this openly, never felt the need to be bold. But it was now or never. _"Guys like it when you let them know where you stand,"_ Nessie's voice said. She was right. I was going to let him know exactly where I stood.

"Just once, Edward," I whispered. "I want to be with you just once. Now. Before it's too late. You're all that I want. You're my bucket list."

He inhaled sharply. "Once? Bella… what...?"

I straightened and mustered the courage I needed to show him. "So you can mock my musical tastes all you want. But I need some answers." I took a step forward as I unzipped my hoodie and removed it, staring into his eyes.

"Do ya, do ya want my love?"

He answered instantly; I'm not sure he even thought about it. "Woman," he whispered.

I smiled, taking another step toward him as I reached down and pulled the tee-shirt off. "Do ya, do ya want my face?"

It seemed to be working. He nodded. "I need it."

I slowly peeled down my leggings and pulled out one leg, then the other, taking another two steps forward until I was standing in front of him in only my bra and panties, looking down at him. "Do ya, do ya want my mind?" I whispered.

His eyes left mine and roamed down my body. "I'm sayin'," he answered.

I grinned. "My mind is up here, Edward." He looked up at me sheepishly. Then "the look" took over.

I reached around to unhook my bra, but suddenly his hand shot out and grabbed my arm. "Wait," he said then let go. "I want to do that."

He was so close that I could feel his breath on my skin. However, rather than follow through on his wishes, he just sat there staring at my body, the only sound in the room our breathing; it was unnerving.

"You know," I said, chuckling nervously, "in my fantasies, you're a lot less clothed."

"You can undress me next," he said as he tilted his head and stared as if trying to memorize every square inch of me. I flushed.

His proximity was driving me crazy and it was so weird to be almost naked in front of him, just waiting. "Edward, what are you doing? Why aren't you touching me?"

Then his hands sort of hovered mere inches away from my waist. He licked his lips. "I'm strategizing."

_Strategizing? What, corporate mergers? Or Bella and Edward mergers? Hmmm._

I just put it out there since I had nothing to lose. "Do any of your strategies include a wall? Because feel free to add that in."

He finally looked into my eyes and I saw a mixture of emotions. "I'm a little nervous," he confessed.

"I'm the one baring my body and soul to you, and you're nervous?"

He shook his head and smiled shyly. "I confessed my feelings to you yesterday morning, darlin'. But if you need more clarity," he began, as he reached for my hand, "I love you, Bella." He paused. "And while this is going to be our first time together, I don't intend for it to be our last. I want to make it so good for you."

I reached out and ran my fingers through his soft hair. "We've had eight months of foreplay. You will…"

His gaze moved back down to my breasts, and then my stomach and panties. "But you're standing there in front of me like… THAT…and just touching me, and you have no fucking idea how..." he trailed off. "And I'm sitting here praying that I'm not going to embarrass myself by coming before we even get going."

I cupped his face. "Stop thinking… and just be with me," I pleaded. "Just once, please."

He looked up quickly. "Oh, it won't be just once, baby. Not by a long-shot."

"But Demetri-"

"They won't attack in broad daylight. Alice is watching for them. We'll leave before it gets too late, but right now…"

He reached out to take my hands and kissed both reverently. Letting go, he put his hands on my hips and I dropped my hands to my sides. His touch burned my skin as he slowly slid up my sides, and then around to my back to unhook my bra, slipping his fingers under the straps and sliding them off. It came loose and fell down my arms. I let it drop to the floor and closed my eyes and threw back my head, reveling in the feeling of his touch.

He pulled me closer and began kissing my neck. With one hand gently caressing my breast, the other began its descent into my panties. When his fingers made contact, I gasped. "Wait."

He paused, his mouth still on my neck. "What?"

"Uh, this is my first time doing some of this. If it's as good it felt yesterday, I- I'll never be able to remain standing. Nothing kills the mood like a girl passed out on the-"

The next thing I knew, he'd pulled me flush against him and twisted our bodies, rolling so that I was on the bed and he was on top of me. Once I recovered from the initial shock, I tugged at his shirt and he thankfully helped me pull it off of him before pressing against me again. Our lips touched and I pulled him closer. His mouth moved and he began to nuzzle my neck while he continued his exploration.

"Which wall?" he asked.

"What?" I asked breathlessly.

"Which wall did you want me to fuck you against?" he asked as he kissed across my collarbone.

_Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Is he trying to kill me?_ Those words, combined with his actions, thrilled me. "God, Edward, I love your mouth," I moaned.

Suddenly he was on the move, his lips making a beeline for my breasts. "Which part? What comes out of it?" He darted his tongue out to lick my right nipple. "Or what goes into it?" he asked, sucking the same nipple into his mouth.

I gasped and arched into him. "Well?" he whispered as he continued his actions.

"Oh… God…mmm… both, I guess."

"Great… because I have other parts of my body that know this in and out routine just as well," he said with a wicked smile.

_And there's that mouth again._

His right hand stayed on my other breast as he kissed his way down my stomach.

Stopping at my belly button, he repeated his actions. "Out?" he asked, swirling his tongue around and in my belly button, "or in?" He sucked gently and kept moving downward. When he reached my panties, he hooked his fingers under the waistband and tugged them down and off.

He slowly kissed his way up my legs and pushed my thighs apart. I could feel his breath just inches away from me, and I knew he was about to go where no man had gone before. I closed my eyes and waited.

"Baby?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"Out… or in?"

_Like I know?_ I opened my eyes and met his gaze. "Both?" I guessed.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Let's find out," he said quietly as he moved in for the kill.

And then the world stopped turning.

_Hoooly Fuck. _

Both. Definitely both.

~#~

When you have sex with someone for the first time, you obviously learn a lot about them, but at the same time, you learn a lot about yourself. My senses were completely alive and every pore in my body tingled as I registered everything about him, me, us, and our afternoon together, and burned it into my memory forever.

I learned that we had amazing communication skills, both verbal – as we already knew – and non-verbal.

I learned what he felt like: his muscular back, his flat stomach, his tight thighs, his hard length in my hand. I loved the feeling of his hands and mouth all over my body: face, breasts, thighs, shoulders, and butt. And I loved when he just held me.

I learned I liked it when he used dirty words to confess his erotic wishes into my ear. Moreover, I learned that while I wasn't particularly fond of the words "pussy" or "clit," the sound of his butter voice saying them turned me on, and I sure as hell loved it when he touched me there, with whatever body part happened to be nearby.

I learned what he tasted like: his skin, his sweat, his saliva, his semen. And I learned what I tasted like when our tongues met after he finished tasting me.

I learned that the Cullen Code cautioning preparedness was deeply ingrained in his being, as he pulled out some condoms he'd brought with him. And he learned that I was equally prepared with my own birth control, as I asked him to forgo the condom so I could feel every bit of him against me and inside of me.

I learned how incredible it looked when he entered and moved in and out of me. And I learned I loved to watch him, to see the gloriousness of his face when he closed his eyes, bit his lip and moved faster, or when he held my gaze, his half-closed eyes radiating desire, friendship, love.

I learned that I loved the smell of him, whether it was his fresh, woodsy clean scent, or the smell of his sweat co-mingled with mine.

I learned that I trusted him completely, so when he took me and moved me in strange ways, I just went with it… even if that meant I wasn't facing him when he entered me. And I learned that the "Reverse Cowgirl" was a fucking fantastic position.

I learned he had amazing stamina. He learned how flexible I was as we both praised my yoga lessons.

I learned what he sounded like in the throes of it all: grunts, groans, moans. Likewise, he learned my little tells: pants, sighs, breathless whispers.

I learned I had a G-spot. _Hallelujah!_

I learned I was actually more vocal than I thought I'd be, something that made him grin like a madman.

And I learned that I loved him, more than I thought possible... and I loved that no matter how we were positioned, he always reached for my hand and held it when I came.

~#~

Edward watched me and felt me come seven times during our desperate afternoon together.

Yes, I counted.

I lost track of the number of times we said _I love you_.

* * *

**A/N2: If they're gonna die, they're going out happy. ;)**

**_(I was afraid seven was a bit extreme (typical FFn Edward), but according to the reviews, not so much. So, yeah...)_  
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**The next update will be the short EPOV outtake; make sure you have that or me on alert. The artist will be Peter Frampton.**

**Thank you to luckyirishtart who gave me a little info that was useful at the beginning of this chapter. Thank you to my friend, MrsEdwardCullenP, for prereading the back half of this chapter. **

**And thank you, as always, to her wonderfulness - Irritable Grizzzly.**

**Please review. ****Seriously****.**

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from ELO's Do Ya. Little shout out to The Partridge Family._

_Answer to Tony's questions:_

_- ELO/Electric Light Orchestra  
- The band name is a pun based not only on electric light-as in a light bulb as seen on early album covers (one even looked like the GE logo)-but also using electric rock instruments combined with a light orchestra (orchestras with only a few cellos and violins that were popular in Britain in the 60s). _

_FYI: ELO's only number 1 hit was in 1980. It was "Xanadu." In the U.S., the song only reached number 8._

_Note, I've never been inside The San Francisco Fairmont. I've taken some liberties with the layout and the Ladies' Room stalls. Seemed plausible given other fancy hotels I have visited._


	22. Wings

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: Um, hi. It's me. I know it's been a while since I posted a regular chapter but I'm still here. So don't you forget about me… _

_Holy crap, was that an 80's song reference? What could that mean? Well, it could mean that we're nearing the end of this story… and we are. _

_Anyway, I apologize for the lag. I hope the sorta citrusy Frampton outtake (posted ~2.5 weeks ago) and the length of this chapter will help you forgive my tardiness. This chapter was a bear to write. More about it in the endnotes. _

_Some quick thank yous:_

_- The fabulous m81170 made a beauuuutiful banner for this story. So much prettier than the crappy one I made on Paint. Check out my profile where I have a link to it. _

_- The lovely fic-wives, cosmogirl7481 and Marvar, have pimped the heck out of this story, including leading the readalong on Feb. 10. Thanks for your enthusiasm, cuties!_

_- Thanks to all of you for sticking with it. I hope you feel your faith is rewarded in the end. _

_At long last: Wings. The song choice tells all... _

* * *

**Chapter 21**

**Wings: Live and Let Die**

**#**

I'd often heard that sex helps relieve stress; heck, Edward had even said so just yesterday when we were alone. Before this point, I couldn't be sure. But now? Holy moly, they weren't kidding! For a few short hours, my mind was clear of everything but him. And afterward, I was a noodle.

We tried different positions, and he was right when he'd said I'd like it both hard and gentle, and being with him in any way made me feel so alive. After a particularly rough session, suddenly my back was against his chest, as his hands guided my hips, and his movements got slower and more sensual, the deeper position bringing on entirely new sensations. He buried his nose in the crook of my neck, kissing my shoulder, his breath heavy in my ear. Then he cupped my breasts and I arched into him as I turned to kiss him.

The kiss was brief; when he moved his hand down my stomach to touch me, I gasped and broke away, and we stared at each other as we moved together. As my breaths became shorter – one of my tells that I was close – he squeezed my hand tightly and I shattered around him. Truthfully, I don't know how I kept moving after that, given my state of being; I swear he must have held me up until he finally came as well.

He held me tightly for a moment before we collapsed onto the bed. As he slid out of me, he tugged the sheet over us and pulled me back to him, holding me until our breathing slowed. Then he gently caressed my flushed skin, up and down my thigh, across my stomach, along my collarbone, and the swell of my breast. His nose was in my hair as he inhaled deeply… breathing us in.

I stayed still, knowing we had to get going, but taking a few more minutes to just… be. I enjoyed the feel of him and what he was doing, absorbing everything and the overwhelming depth of my feelings for him. When all of this was over, I was sure I was going to sleep for days, but for now I remained awake. I didn't want to miss a thing.

_Wait; was that a '90s song reference?_ My brain was clearly scrambled. _This is your brain. This is your brain and body after an Edward Cullen sex-athon. _I giggled internally and squeezed his hand.

He kissed his way across my shoulder and up my neck as he turned me to look at him. _God he's stunning._

I smiled. "Hi."

"Hi yourself," he said as he guided me to my back and leaned in for a kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he snaked his hand down my body, slowly over my breasts, across my stomach…

I opened my eyes and pulled away in surprise, reaching down to grab his hand before he went any further. "Hey you!"

"Hey what?" He grinned, and then kissed me again. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

I moved a little to assess the situation. I was sweaty and sticky, and I felt like I'd just finished a huge workout. I was a mess, but it was a strange and awesome feeling. I smiled. "A little sore, but in a good way."

"Sore, huh?" He looked concerned. "I'm sorry, was I too rough?"

I ran my fingers through his hair. "No, I knew you wouldn't hurt me."

He shifted and propped his head up while he tenderly touched my cheek. "How does this feel?"

"It hurts a bit," I admitted. "Does it look bad?"

"A little bruised."

"Well, my hands hurt a little too."

"What?" He reached for one, then the other, and examined them carefully. "You didn't say anything."

"Everything you were doing made me forget the pain," I said with a smile. I looked around and saw the towel he'd brought from the bathroom earlier and used it to gently clean us up a little.

"What happened with Demetri?" he asked. I looked at him and noted his now somber expression. "How did you get away?"

I took a deep breath. "I knew I couldn't run, so I had to catch him off-guard and knock him out as fast as possible. I-"

"Hold it. _You_ started the fight?"

I shrugged. "It was the only thing I could think of. I shoved my phone at his face, knocked him off-balance, kneed him in the chin, and then kicked him in the balls. Once he was down and off of me-"

His eyes widened. "He was ON you?"

I tried to keep my tone as casual as possible, since I didn't want him freaking out. I put the towel aside and then looked at my hands. "He pinned my legs and I hit him with my bag. Thank God it was so heavy and I had that sharp-edged Glock inside. Once he was off of me, I was able to knock him with a few more hits to the back of the head. Then I dragged him to a stall, cleaned up the mess and got out of there." I glanced at Edward's face to see the look of horror on it. I shrugged. "It could have been worse. I was just lucky I didn't give him time to pull a gun."

"Or a knife!"

"Yeah. I'm not trained in knives."

"Interesting word choice," he huffed. "But somehow, you're _trained_ in hand-to-hand combat, breaking and entering, talking in and deciphering codes, and guns."

"Nah. I mean, I know how to think quickly when attacked. And codes are just another form of puzzles to me. Guns are the only thing I'd say I have formal training in."

He shook his head. "I still can't believe your grandmother allowed Mr. Aro to take you shooting."

"Well, Dad taught me first about gun safety, you know, the basics. Aro just worked on improving my technique… and trying to bring out my killer instincts."

"Your _killer instincts_?"

"Perhaps that's the wrong choice of words. It's just that he and I used to argue about my compassion for my opponent."

_When you were young and your heart was an open book…_

"What do you mean?"

"He'd put the target in front of me and tell me to aim for the heart and head. I didn't want to."

_You used to say live and let live…_

"Really? Even after what happened to your parents?"

I nodded. "Yeah. That was his perspective as well. I didn't want to become like _them_, the bad guys. He didn't understand it…"

_~#~_

"_Okay," Mr. Aro said as he pressed the button that pulled the target away from me. "Put him down, bella donna."_

_"I can't kill anyone, Mr. Aro."_

_He shook his head. "Would you rather see someone you care about hurt?"_

"_No, but why can't I just incapacitate them?" _

"_It's harder to do that, sweetheart; you're not going to be a _professional_ based on these lessons with me. Shooting can be very imprecise. Your target might be in motion. If you aim for the torso, you have a greater chance of hitting them." _

"_Yes, but if I practice with all of these," I said, gesturing to the handguns laid out in front of me, "I can get good at hitting their shoulders, arms, and legs."_

_He smiled gently and kissed my head. "You have a good heart, Isabella. I'll tell you what: Humor me and practice both, okay?"_

_~#~_

"So did you?"

"Yes. I got familiar with the various pistols and their associated recoils, and learned how to adjust my aim for my reaction to it. I did as he asked, but I really worked on learning how to maim someone. We even had lengthy discussions about the feasibility of shooting the bad guy when he had a hostage, like in the movies… you know: Speed, The Negotiator... Do you shoot the hostage to get them out of the way?"

He looked surprised. "What did he say?"

"He said it was even harder to do because the hostage was usually struggling, so the perpetrator was often in motion. You ran the risk of killing them. But I thought it was possible if they were positioned the right way and if the hostage was still. Depending on the caliber of bullet and type of gun, you might even go through one and hit the other."

He raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. "With your skills, you could probably do it." He paused, and then asked, "So he wasn't there when you called, huh?"

"No."

"And you were calling to say goodbye?"

I nodded. "I didn't want to leave things as they were. I wanted to thank him for everything. He really did teach me a lot, and even though it was a circuitous route, his lessons and actions led me to you."

He kissed me again, and then pulled back, an amused expression on his face. "Well, aren't we a pair? We'd be great in a fight together. We both know guns. You're apparently Jason Statham in a fight. I know knives."

"You know _knives_?"

He shrugged. "I was in prison, Bella. I learned a few things, including how to spot and hide a shank." My mouth dropped open. "Defense only. I knew some guys with useful skills."

"Jeez, we're a regular Mr. and Mrs. Smith." I muttered.

His eyes widened and then he smirked. "_Mr._ and _Mrs._, huh?"

_Wha?_ Then I realized what I'd said. I turned pink and backtracked. "Oh, I- uh, I didn't mean-"

He grinned. "Don't apologize. I like it," he said, nuzzling my neck and turning me so I was facing him. He tangled our legs together as his hands started wandering. I felt it immediately everywhere.

"What are you doing?" I gasped.

_Like it isn't obvious, Bella!_

"Practicing more of the Mr. and Mrs. part," he mumbled into my shoulder.

_Holy shit, the things this guy does to me!_

While part of me was thrilled that this overwhelming feeling of desire was very much mutual, my logical self knew we couldn't keep at it. With amazing restraint, I pushed him back. "Whoa! Don't push our luck here. We've gotta get going."

He raised a brow and smiled. "WE being the operative word there." His face quickly became serious. "You really were going to leave me, weren't you?"

"Yes. Ten minutes later, I'd have been gone."

"But you won't now?" he asked.

I shook my head.

He closed his eyes. "I asked you never to leave me again."

"I know," I whispered, as I reached out to touch his face, "but this wasn't the same situation. The first time was out of hurt and anger. This time I wanted to protect you. I couldn't bear it if you got hurt because of me."

His eyes snapped open and he pushed the hair off my face. "Listen," he began slowly, "I feel like I've waited forever to find you and I don't want to lose you. We need to protect _each other_. Putting yourself in danger for me…" he trailed off shaking his head. "I love you. Leaving me in any way, shape, or form would hurt just as much." He stared at me, waiting for my acknowledgment.

Somehow I doubted that abandonment was anything close to physical harm and mortal danger, but I understood what he was trying to say, so I nodded. The reality of our situation finally started creeping back in, clouding the love haze we'd both been in for the past few hours. It was only then I noticed the diminishing light.

"Wait, is it me or is it getting dark?" I asked looking at the clock. It was only a little after 4:00 in the afternoon.

He turned to look out the window. "Fog's rolling in."

I sat up. "Big time!" It was eerie watching it creep into the backyard. "We'd better clean up and go before they figure out where I went. Do you want to shower first or should I?" I asked as I leaned off the bed to grab his t-shirt from the floor.

He sat up too. "Well, she has a hundred bathrooms in this place, so we don't need to _take turns_," he said as I pulled the shirt over my head. "Uh, why are you getting dressed?"

"I'm not," I said as I got up. "I'm just covering up a little."

He laughed and swung his legs over the side of the bed, and faced me. "I was just all over you. I think I've seen the goodies."

I could feel my face heating. _What the hell?_ This guy had just given me the best two naked hours of my life and I was still blushing? "I don't typically walk around naked," I mumbled.

"THAT will change, darlin'," he said, giving me one of his patented 'looks.' He reached for my hand and pulled me closer so I was standing between his parted legs. Then he slid his hands up the back of my thighs to my butt as he nuzzled my neck.

_The things Edward does to my body!_ I struggled to keep my resolve.

"Shower?"

"Yep! Shower. Let's go," he said, as he slapped my butt.

I yelped, and then registered what he'd said. "Together?"

"Yes." He stood and grabbed my hand. "Besides," he continued, a devilish gleam in his eye, "there's a shower wall with your name on it."

_God, help me! _

I looked away in an attempt not to ogle. The most beautiful naked man was propositioning me once again and setting my body on fire with just his words. Now that I'd had a taste of what our sex life could be like, I was more determined than ever to ensure we'd make it out of this mess alive; I wanted more, and often please. But he was seriously testing my willpower right now.

"Uh, maybe I should find another shower if we plan on getting out of here anytime soon," I said, glancing back at him.

He shook his head and held up his hands. "Okay, okay… I'll be a good boy. The wall fucking will have to wait. Although," he began, his eyes narrowing, "part of me wants to take you in there right now and screw your brains out so that you-"

I stepped closer and covered his mouth with my hand. "Stop with the dirty talk! You know what it does to me and we really need to get moving!"

I could feel and see his smile beneath my hand, and I pulled it away. "What?"

"Just think: three days ago you were giving me shit for my dirty mouth, but you didn't seem to mind what this dirty mouth did to you," he said with a smirk. I gasped and I'm sure I had a dazed expression on my face as I thought about all the things he'd done to me.

His chuckle brought me back to reality. "Goddamn, you're so fun to tease. Let's go," he said, tugging on my arm.

"Wait," I said. "Could you give me a head start?"

"Why?"

I grimaced. "I need to go, and as much as I'm thrilled with our newfound intimacy, I'm not ready to pee in front of you just yet."

He grinned and kissed my forehead. "Go on. I'll do the same in a different bathroom and be back in a minute."

It was a relief that he didn't make me feel stupid for being my backward, repressed self. I grinned back at him. "Thanks!" I said and dashed off.

As I washed my hands, I finally looked at myself in the mirror. _Holy shit!_ My hair was a mess and my face looked more than a 'little bruised'; the skin under my eye was turning purple and it looked like I was going to have a bit of a black eye.

"Wow," I muttered, just as he knocked on the door. "Come in," I answered and he entered in all his naked glory.

I stepped in and turned the knobs for the two separate showerheads to get the water heating. Then I went back to the sink. My face must have still shown my dismay over my appearance.

"What's wrong?" he said, walking quickly to me.

I turned back to the mirror and shook my head. "Jeez, Edward, I'm looking beautiful here," I said sarcastically.

He stood behind me and wrapped his arms around me, looking in the mirror. "You are."

I made a face. "Be honest."

"I am. As I said, you could be bald and covered with mud and you'd still look pretty." He turned me to face him, placed his hands on my shoulders, and smiled. "The fact that you've got a few bruises is nothing." He looked me up and down. "And the sight of you in my shirt... I like it," he said, running his hands down my sides and stopping briefly at my hips. Then he slid his hands underneath and pulled me to him. "I'd like it more off of you though," he said seductively as he removed it.

"Jesus, are those from him or me?"

I followed his gaze and looked down at my hips in surprise. There were faint bruises starting on both sides. I touched them and realized they were where his hands had been during our last go-round. I looked up at him. "You."

"Hmm," he said, staring at my body once again as his look quickly turned lustful.

The energy between us was humming again and it was killing me; honestly, I wanted to jump him, but the clock was ticking. "Get in," I ordered, pointing at the shower as I placed the shirt on the counter. It was then that I noticed the stain.

"What's this?" I asked as he stepped into the shower.

He turned around, looking puzzled. Then it seemed to register. "Probably from Jacob. I redressed his wound."

I followed him in. "But he's okay?"

"Yeah," he muttered, stepping under the water to wet his hair.

"Why did you say it like that?" I asked as I finally moved to stand under the other showerhead.

He grabbed the shampoo and pulled me closer to him. "Let me wash your hair."

_Wash my hair? Who offers to do that? Only men in romantic movies. Oh, and Edward, apparently._

I blinked. "Okaaay." I rotated my showerhead so the water was still hitting me, and faced him.

He lathered up and massaged the shampoo into my scalp as he continued talking. "I told you he was a handful. After I got off the phone with you, we had a small tiff."

I closed my eyes. "About?"

"You. He's very protective." He finished rubbing my head. "Go ahead, rinse," he said quietly.

I nodded. "Yeah, he is," I said as I did as I was told. "He's like the brother I never had. He protected me and got shot for it." I took a deep breath; I could feel the guilt starting to creep over me as my shoulders sagged. I grabbed the soap.

"He's okay, Bella." I turned to look at him. His eyes were soft as he tried to assure me. "They both are." He poured some shampoo into his hand and began washing his own hair.

"But how is he alive? He was shot, Nessie was knocked out, and the goons were still there when I ran off…"

"Truthfully? Pure luck. Nessie regained consciousness shortly before they left, and she stayed still, praying they would leave her alone. They got the call from that guy Chuck, then left to go to your apartment. She knew she couldn't call 911, so she called Quil, who was already on his way over." He stuck his head under the water to rinse. "She kept pressure on the wound until he got there, and they eventually moved him to SF General where Bailey Call took care of them."

I shook my head as my eyes filled with tears, and I closed them. "Holy shit," I breathed. "Thank God for Ness."

Suddenly his body was flush against mine. "Hey," he whispered, hugging me tightly, "what did I say about crying in the shower?" I opened my eyes and looked up at him. "Tears of joy only, baby," he said, then smiled slowly and nodded to the left. "Hmm, I think you might need the wall."

Well, he sure knew how to distract me! I shook my head in disbelief and smiled a little as I wiped away a tear. "Don't you need recovery time? You're not a teenager…"

He cocked his head and lifted an eyebrow. "Are you calling me an old man again?"

Apparently, I was. But seriously, he was thirty-six; I didn't know much about these things, but I thought that the older a guy got, the longer he needed to recoup. Not wanting to get into that, I tried to backpedal as I wriggled out of his arms.

"No, well, uh…"

He grinned. "Well, this _old man_ made you very happy for the past few hours. I wonder if Mr. Smith could make Mrs. Smith come as many times as I did for you." He splayed his fingers and mouthed "five" proudly. "But who's counting?"

I grabbed a scrubbie, put some shower gel on it, and began washing his chest and stomach. "I was, and it was seven."

He frowned. "Seven? No, those two were small… they were just aftershocks."

I paused. "Did you feel them?" I asked, handing him the scrubbie.

"Yes."

"So did I, and therefore they count. Given the number I've had in my lifetime that weren't self-induced," I said as I made a big "0" with my fingers and thumb, "don't take these away from me." I splayed my fingers on my left hand, held up two fingers on the other and mouthed "seven."

He grinned and moved closer to me, wrapping one hand around my waist while he snaked the other down my stomach until he was there, touching me.

"What are you doing?" I yelped.

"Going for eight."

I grabbed his arm to try and stop him. "Edward, please! We can't-"

He held me tightly to him. "Let me," he said, as his fingers sought to break my will.

"But-"

"What difference will another few minutes make? If we're going to die, let's go out happy," he whispered, his lips hovering over mine.

I gasped. His words were like a bucket of ice water on me, despite his actions. I wanted him so badly, but not enough to risk losing him forever.

I pulled back and gripped his arm. "No. I won't risk everything because we couldn't control ourselves. We've been through way too much over the past few days to let that happen."

He frowned and stilled. "Alice is watching for us-"

"Alice can't see everything." As I rinsed off I said, "I don't want them to hurt you, Edward, and I won't give them the chance if I can help it. _'We protect each other?'_ Well this is me protecting you."

I turned off my shower and stood in front of him; his look was somber. I cupped his face and stood on my toes to kiss him gently, then pulled back to meet his gaze. "I want you more than anything I've ever wanted in my life," I said. "And I want you in my life beyond this mess. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Do you understand?"

His expression relaxed as he nodded. "I love you too, Bella."

I grinned and then slapped his butt. "Good. Now, if you need to take care of business again, as you're wont to do during _your _shower time, have at it quickly, finish up, and let's get moving. I'm going to get ready."

"Fuck, you're hot when you're bossy," he said, then raised his hand to his temple to salute me. "Yes, ma'am."

That wasn't the only thing saluting me at that moment. I looked down, and then back at his smirking face. "Uh, I'll see you in a few," I said, as I opened the shower door and got out. I could feel him watching me, so I hurriedly grabbed a towel, wrapped it around me, and ran out of the bathroom.

The fog outside was fairly heavy and the light in the room was dimming. I turned on the lamp on the dresser and toweled dry. Then I grabbed some clothes from my bag, dressed, and surveyed the messy bed. _Yikes! _I went to the hallway and found some clean sheets in the linen closet. Then I returned to the room and stripped the bed. Adding the towels to the pile, I made the bed and scooped the pile from the floor and went downstairs in search of the laundry room.

The house phone was ringing as I dumped the linens in the washer, but I ignored it since it couldn't be for us; Alice would call Edward's phone if there was an emergency. I dumped in some soap, fixed the settings, and turned it on. As I walked up the stairs, the phone rang again. I suddenly got a strange feeling and hurried up the stairs back to the room to see if there were any missed calls on Edward's phone.

Scanning the room, I found it on the top of the armoire and noticed the screen was dark, and would not wake from sleep mode. I pressed the power button-and nothing happened. The phone was dead!

I ran downstairs to the kitchen where I'd left my charger. I plugged his phone in, turned it on to find Alice's number, and called her from the house phone. She answered immediately.

"Where have you been?" she asked. "I've been trying to reach you for the past half-hour!"

"Oh, I was showering."

"Why didn't he answer then?"

_Ugh._ "He was…cleaning up," I muttered. _Okay, not really lying…_ I quickly changed the subject. "Sorry, I just figured out his phone went dead, and mine got mangled in the fight with Demetri. What's wrong?"

"I lost them."

I sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. "Shit…"

"I know. Felix found Demetri about an hour after you left the hotel. They made it to the basement of the garage, drove into the Mission, and then hit some streets with no cameras. I don't know where they went."

"What about Caius?"

"He left the Club, and from what I could see from the cameras at the Fairmont, he and Felix spoke on the phone although they were within a block of each other. He left pretty angry and went back to his office."

"I told him I'd meet him at 4:30. Hopefully he's still waiting for me there."

"The unmarked car he was driving is still parked outside the precinct."

"Okay. Well, Edward should be finished soon. Did you find any more connections?"

"I think so. It appears that the Volturi family and the Nicholai family are related by marriage for several generations. When they eventually settled in the U.S., they changed their names to Voltorini and Nicholas. The Nicholas family is the one with the money."

"And their connections to the other guys?

"Well, as it turns out, I think the connections are actually through Randy and Chuck. Did you get my email?"

"No, hold on." I got the netbook and opened the email. Alice had typed a makeshift flowchart into the email text:

Caius Voltorini - Charles "Chuck" Waldman: Berkeley, Zeta Psi

Chuck Waldman - Randall "Randy" Green: Berkeley

Randy Green - Demetri Gavris - Felix Marquez: U.S. Army – Italy

GM Security Enterprises - VolcaniC Investments

"Okay, what's this?"

"It's Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, the criminal version," she said. "Thanks to that photo where you identified Chuck, I was able to do some facial recognition scans and piece this convoluted set of connections together.

"So it seems Caius is a pretty smart guy. He got into Berkeley, had a few scholarships, and was also on work-study. While there, he pledged to Zeta Psi fraternity. One of his fraternity brothers was Chuck Waldman. Click on the first picture."

I did and saw a fraternity photo. Alice had circled two of the guys; sure enough, I was looking at a very young Caius and Chuck.

"Okay, so these guys go way back."

"Yes, they do. Now click on the second photo. That's Randy Green," she said, as I brought it up. "Randy was Chuck's roommate freshman year. Randy was Army ROTC."

I looked at the photo of the one man I'd neither heard nor seen as of yet. Then I glanced back at her flow chart. I started to realize what the connections meant.

"Oh, Randy had a full ride through ROTC, didn't he?"

"Yeah, you've got it. He finished college and then did his mandatory four-year service. He was stationed in Italy under the Southern European Task Force-"

"And Demetri and Felix were there at the same time, right?"

"Yes," she sighed. "They ended up on assignments in Bosnia, Croatia and Rwanda. I didn't find many pictures of them, but the third one has them all together."

"And GM Security Enterprises?" I asked as I clicked on that photo. There they were: Felix and Demetri, along with Randy. "I assume you think that stands for Gavris-Marquez? They do work for VolcaniC?"

"I found records of wire transfers from a VolcaniC account to one belonging to GM. I don't have concrete proof that GM is Gavris-Marquez yet, but this is the closest we've come to making all the links."

I shut the computer, and dashed back upstairs. Edward was in the bedroom, already dressed and sitting on the bed lacing up his motorcycle boots.

"So Randy and Chuck are the lynchpins in this whole thing. Very clever; the ones closest to Caius are the least visible." Edward froze, now paying close attention. I didn't have time to try to hide this part anymore; whatever we knew, he needed to know. "I'm going to put you on speaker, okay?" I pressed the button, threw the phone on the bed, and kept talking. "Looks like we don't have enough to take them all down yet," I muttered, plopping myself on the floor to put my sneakers on. "So we still have to hide."

"We'll get the information, Bella," she said confidently.

"But where do we go now? We can't keep running forever. And we certainly can't run in a large pack with an injured Jake; we'd be a pretty conspicuous group. Besides, I only have so much cash."

"Edward can access the Platt money. Mom told me she told you."

"What?" he asked, clearly shocked.

I glanced at Edward as I held my hand out, letting him know to hold on. "Yeah, but if they know who he is, at a certain point the Platt account will be watched, don't you think?" He frowned and I could see him trying to piece together what was going on.

"We can wire it to you wherever you are."

I went over and stood in front of him to run my hand through his damp hair. He seemed to relax a little. "Does Esme know about what happened today?"

"No, I can't reach her," she said. "She went to a retreat at a spa in Utah yesterday afternoon. I left a message on her cell when you went to see Dad, but I haven't heard back from her. My guess is I won't until after dinner."

"Okay, well, we'll pack up and get moving. Unfortunately, Edward's phone is dead. It's charging now, but we'll have to switch it off to save power when we're on the road. This means we'll be seriously out of touch until we land at our next stop, wherever that is." I paused and closed my eyes. Going to get Jake and Nessie now could be a huge mistake…

Edward seemed to be on the same page. "Alice, could you let Emmett and his team know that we're going to try to figure out all the logistics and we'll be in touch in a few hours?"

I opened my eyes. "I hope it won't look like we're ditching them."

"Bella," he said quietly, "no one will think that."

Alice agreed. "He's right. You're the most vulnerable since they know you're in the city. They'll understand. Now get going you two. Edward, Bella will fill you in on everything. Keep your cool and you guys will make it out fine. Call me when you land."

"Will do," he said. "Bye."

He ended the call and narrowed his eyes. "Did I hear that right? Caius Voltorini is _in_ on this?"

I took a deep breath. "We think so. There's a chance he's been in on it for years." I hurried to the chair where I'd put the Alice clothes/disguise and the riding gear. I grabbed her stuff and shoved it into the purse, put my hoodie on, then threw the riding gear over my arm.

"How many years?"

I watched him carefully as I walked closer. "At least nine."

He blinked and looked away, considering my statement. I could see the dots connecting. He looked me in the eye. "My imprisonment wasn't accidental, was it?"

Coming to stand in front of him I said, "It could be you were supposed to be a victim. It could be you ended up being a convenient scapegoat. We don't know enough yet." I gestured at his bag. "Please, get your stuff and let's go. Don't dwell on this right now. Alice is gathering the evidence. The main link seems to be these two other guys, Randy and Chuck. We'll see what else she can piece together in a few hours."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "How can you expect me to not dwell on this? That guy-"

"Edward! 'That guy' is Kay. He has connections and those connections are after me. We need to go!" I said forcefully.

He appeared momentarily shocked. "You really are a bossy little thing, aren't you?"

I thrust the purse at him. "I guess so. Go prep and load up the bike. I'll finish here and we can leave."

"Yes, ma'am," He nodded and went downstairs. I grabbed his towel and hung it up quickly. Then I turned off the lamp, grabbed my backpack and the phone, and made my way downstairs.

The gray from the fog was visible from all windows and it was creeping me out. I dumped the riding gear and home phone on a chair just outside of the family room and hurried to the kitchen to grab the netbook and phone. Unplugging both, I scooped up all the gear and shoved it all into my backpack.

I popped my head in the garage to see what Edward was doing and found him down on the ground putting air in the tires. He had his riding pants on already.

"Are we good to go?" I asked.

"Almost," he said, looking up at me. "We'll need to gas up along the way, but we should be okay for the first hour or so. Get dressed and we'll head out in a minute."

I nodded and went back inside to get my stuff. I reached into my backpack to grab a hair tie to pull my hair back into a ponytail and was reaching for the pants when the house phone rang again.

Thinking it was Alice, I answered quickly. "Hello?"

There was no answer. "Hello?" I said again. The line clicked, signaling they'd hung up.

A bad feeling suddenly washed over me. I went into the family room and looked out the window. The tall trees surrounding the yard gave the back a lot of privacy, which didn't help with visibility. I called Alice again.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Alice, have you seen them at all?"

"No? Why?"

"I answered a call thinking it was you, and whoever it was hung up."

"Oh," she said, "probably a wrong number. Let me che-" She stopped abruptly.

"Alice?"

"The cameras outside the house are down," she hissed.

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm blind! And that someone may have tampered with the system!" I could hear her typing furiously. "The alarm system is down too! You guys have to leave no-"

Suddenly she was gone. "Alice," I whispered, but it was no use. The phone was dead.

Trying not to panic, I was about to leave the room when I noticed movement outside. I stepped closer to the windows to see if I'd imagined it, but then quickly hid behind the curtains. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as I realized a man was sneaking up to the windows to get in!

He grabbed one of the chairs in the backyard and moved it to help him climb up. I looked around for anything to hit him with. My backpack was on my shoulder, but it wasn't as heavy as the handbag had been; moreover, I didn't want to damage the netbook and phone. I put the bag on the sofa, picked up a crystal vase from a side table, and hid once again behind the curtains closest to that window.

The next thing I knew he'd broken and unlatched the window, and was pushing it up. He placed his gloved hands on the sill and lifted himself up; he was halfway through when I pounced.

I brought the vase down on the back of his head, but to my surprise, it didn't break. It did, however, roll out of my hands as it knocked him down. He groaned and tried to crawl away. I kicked him in the stomach, then stepped around him and reached for the table lamp, ripping the cord out of the socket. He grabbed hold of my ankle and I almost tripped, but luckily I was positioned how I needed to be. Holding the lamp high, I brought it down on his head and he was out. I nudged him with my foot to turn him over and saw the mystery man at last; while he was older, he was still recognizable – Randy Green was lying at my feet.

I quickly grabbed the lamp cord and tied his wrists behind his back, wishing we could hide him until we found the good police who would interrogate the hell out of him. Honestly, I wanted to nail this mofo to the floor so there'd be no chance of him getting away. I was tempted to grab the superglue from my bag and glue his hands together, but I knew that was crazy. Once he was secured, I frisked him to see if he had a gun.

I was just pulling one out of his jacket pocket when I heard heavy banging and the sounds of a struggle.

"Bella?" Edward called.

I threw my bag over my shoulder, and ran into the hallway. There, standing in the front foyer, was Edward, dragging a very bruised and battered Chuck along with him. Chuck's arms were bound behind him.

"Look who I found," he said. "Chuck."

Chuck popped his head up and he looked at Edward in surprise.

"Yeah," I said, "we know your names. Where are Demetri and Felix?"

He laughed darkly, and rolled his eyes. "Like I'm going to tell you," he muttered.

Edward slapped him hard upside his head.

"Fuck!" he shouted.

"You're going to tell someone, asshole," Edward said. "Don't you think they'll kill you to stop you from talking? They're good at cleaning up their messes. You'll live longer if you talk to the good guys rather than stay with the bad."

"Fuck you," he hissed.

"No, fuck you, Charles," I said. I looked at Edward. "Frisk him for his gun."

Edward held up a pistol. "Already ahead of you."

I held up the matching one. "Great, now we're both armed and dangerous. I pulled this off of Randy in the other room." I pointed at Chuck. "Gag him and knock him unconscious, then hide him in a closet or something."

Edward's eyes widened. "What?"

He hesitated a bit too long; every minute counted. I kneed Chuck in the balls so that he'd double over, then knocked him on the back of the head with the gun I had in my hand. He dropped to the floor.

"Jesus," Edward gasped, looking down at Chuck and then back at me a little in awe. "You're fucking amazing. You're like a mini James Bond."

"Hardly," I scoffed. "I may not want to kill them, but if it comes down to our welfare or theirs, I choose ours." I stuck the gun in my backpack and put the bag on the decorative table between the kitchen and dining room. "We've got to get moving. It might be faster to lug him into the laundry room and lock the door."

"Good idea." He picked Chuck up by his armpits and dragged him backward toward the laundry room.

I walked back down the hall to get my riding gear when I heard the sound of the kitchen door rip open then slam shut.

"Honey, I'm hooome," a deep voice sang.

I instantly froze. _Shit! Demetri!_

"I'm coming for you, Isabella. It was just business, but you made this shit personal, sweetie."

I looked at the backpack that was too far out of reach, and then turned and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

The front door flew open behind me. "Are they here?" another voice called. I recognized it immediately: Felix.

"_She_ is," Demetri said, his voice coming closer. "Check to see who else is here and what the hell happened to Chuck and Randy. Leave her to me."

I mentally kicked myself. I should never have put down the bag. Now it was guns versus nothing: another unfair fight! Right then, I wished our numbers were more weighted to our side. I'd have given anything for Garrett and Emmett to show up.

Just then a set of images flashed through my brain. _Garrett and Emmett showing up. Edward running down the hallway with Alice's Ruger. Usual spot. _

_"Bedroom closet, shoe box on the floor, just like Mom. Family practice."_

Gunshots rang out from downstairs and I stifled a scream. _Oh God, please let that be Edward doing the shooting!_ I ran into Esme's huge bedroom, and shut the door behind me. The light was dim, but I could see that her walk-in closet was straight ahead. As my eyes adjusted, I took in a wall full of shoe boxes; there were dozens! I ran in and threw myself on the floor, ripping into each box, frantically in search of the gun I prayed would be there.

His footsteps were heavy and I could hear him coming fast. The bedroom door slammed open behind me. "Where are you?" he roared.

_Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease!_ I nearly cried in joy when I finally laid my hands on the cold steel of a Glock 19. Two magazines landed at my knees. I popped one of them in and adjusted my grip. Then I whipped around, sitting with my back to the wall…

_Give the other fella hell, Bella…_

…And quickly adjusted for the recoil as I started firing like crazy into the large man standing at the closet door. Two casings hit me on my face and head and the fire from the gunpowder igniting in front of my eyes scared the shit out of me, but I kept at it.

Seconds later, Demetri collapsed just feet from me, his gun falling from his hand.

I quickly crawled over and grabbed his Beretta so it was out of his reach. Then I scrambled to my feet and pointed his gun at him while I kicked him to roll him over and assess if he was truly down. His eyes were dull and scary, and his chest full of holes and blood. He was dead.

I turned and dumped the used magazine on the floor, reaching for the other and loading it up. With both guns in my possession, I ran downstairs and instantly saw the remnants of a fight. A broken lamp, a chair on its side, another gun on the floor… and Felix on his back, his neck and chest covered in blood. I held my breath and pointed the gun at him as I got a closer look. Those weren't bullet wounds; they were knife wounds!

"Edward," I called, "are you okay?"

"Bel-" he began, but then he finished with a mumbled, "FUCK!"

The next voice I heard made my blood run cold. "Oh he's fine, Ms. Swan. Or is it _Ms. Curvato_?"

_Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight? _I thought._ Well get ready, Bella, because the Devil is here._

I checked the safety on the Beretta then shoved it in my hoodie pocket. My heart was beating a mile a minute as I walked slowly toward the sound of the voice, my arms extended in front of me with the Glock in my hands ready to shoot. When I got close to the living room, Caius stepped into view, tugging Edward along with him; it appeared Caius had pinned his arms behind him with his left arm while the right was pointing a gun at Edward's stomach. Edward was a mess; he had a bloody nose, a cut above his eye, and he was leaning a little, favoring his right side. It was possible he had some broken ribs and his clothes were stained with blood.

"Put the gun down, _Bella_," Caius ordered.

I realized I needed to stall and wait for an opening to make my move. "Let him go, _Kay_," I said. "I'm the one you've been looking for. He's just an innocent bystander in this whole mess."

"Oh, I don't think so. He was involved way before you were," he said, tapping Edward's chest with the gun. "But that's the past. The present is much more interesting." He smirked. "See, I've heard you two and your little on-air romance, so he's clearly more than a bystander to you." He dropped the smirk and glared at me. "Where is it?"

_Time to dance._ "It doesn't matter where it is. We made copies. Lots of people know we're here and they're on their way now." _Oh God, I hope Alice called... everyone._ "If anything happens to us, you'll be the first one they investigate."

"Well, it's a good thing I have the FBI in my corner then, don't you think?" he said with a satisfied smile. "You know what they say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That fool doesn't realize he's both," he scoffed. "That goody two shoes… There's no fucking way Carlisle Cullen and his rigid moral code would get involved. He's been oblivious to it all."

As odd as it seemed, I felt a small bit of relief to hear that Carlisle wasn't in on this whole mess. He was just a man who stupidly trusted the wrong person. I glanced at Edward who stood silently taking it all in. Then I looked back at Caius. "Well he knows now," I lied. "We have enough to link you and your cousin to all your crimes, and we gave it to him."

"You – and he – have nothing. And I'll say nothing… except for this: you're aiming a gun at a well-respected San Francisco police officer. That's a crime, Ms. Swan."

"I'm aiming a gun at a dirty cop involved in bribery, endangering the public, assault, and murder! You kill us, and you'll have the blood of two more innocent people on your hands!"

"Innocent? Edward murdered someone," he said, gesturing in Felix's direction. "And because you're standing here arguing with me, I suspect you did as well since Demetri was so hell-bent on being the one to take you down. I'll just be doing my duty: taking down two cold-blooded killers."

"I think crooked was wrong," Edward suddenly blurted. I glanced at him quickly and then focused again on Caius. But he had my attention; I was listening.

"I feel the neeed for speed," he muttered.

What the hell? This was like the NSAR-SF clues…. Oh, CLUES!

_Crooked was wrong? Need for speed? _My mind churned as I took in the words and I instantly realized what he was trying to say: Shoot the hostage.

In that moment, I realized Mr. Aro was actually right. It was too dangerous. Shooting a paper target was completely different from shooting a flesh-and-blood hostage. The fact that he was the love of my life increased the stakes infinitely.

"No," I said quickly, never taking my eyes off Caius.

"Stop talking," Caius said pulling on Edward's arms and digging the gun into his side.

"Shiiit," Edward groaned, once again leaning toward his right side. I glanced at him and our eyes met. He looked down quickly toward his right foot and back up at me. Then he did it again. I realized he was trying to tell me something else. Maybe if I got him talking he could give me another clue…

"Are you okay?" I asked.

His eyes narrowed and he bent forward a little more and somewhat toward Caius. "Spanish Inquisition, baby," he hissed.

_Be prepared._

The next thing I knew, I saw a flash of steel as the knife Edward had hidden in his hand was suddenly embedded in Caius's left thigh.

"Fuck!" Caius shouted as he let go of Edward's arms to grab his bleeding leg.

And then time seemed to halt as I watched the rest of the nightmare unfold in slow motion:

Edward stepping away from Caius…

_You used to say live and let live_

Caius pulling the trigger…

_You know you did_

Edward falling to the floor…

_But if this ever-changing world in which we live in makes you give in and cry_

The sound of me screaming Edward's name.

"_Put him down, bella donna."_

There would be no maiming tonight. This motherfucker was going down.

_Live and let die. _

"Okay, Mr. Aro," I hissed as I fired all ten shots into Caius's body, watching him stagger back as each bullet hit him.

He dropped the gun before he fell to the floor in front of me. I dropped the Glock and pulled out the Beretta, aiming it at him as I hurried over and kicked his gun away. From his glassy-eyed expression, he looked dead.

I dashed to the table to get my backpack and then leapt back to Edward's side. "Edward!" I cried, turning him over. He groaned in pain. "Sorry!"

He'd taken a bullet just below his ribs on his right side, and he was bleeding. I didn't see an exit wound, which meant the bullet was still in him. I ripped open the backpack and grabbed the cell, turning it on to dial 911. I put it on speaker and left it on the floor as I tended to him.

"Edward, put pressure on it, right?"

His eyes rolled back in his head as he hissed, "Yeah." I put my hands over the wound and pressed. "Ahhhh!" he cried.

I winced. "Oh my God, sorry! I have to!"

Suddenly the operator came on the line. _"Please state the nature of your emergency."_

I spoke loudly. "I need an ambulance immediately. A man's been shot."

"_Did you say a man has been shot, ma'am?"_

"Yes, please hurry. The address is 175 29th Avenue. In Seacliff."

"_Is anyone else injured, ma'am?"_

"Yes, just hurry!" I hung up.

Blood was seeping through his shirt and his eyes were closing. I didn't know if I needed to keep him awake like you did for people with concussions, but I didn't want to risk it. "Hey," I said, and he looked up at me. I started babbling. "Do you know what I was thinking when I shot him? I thought Aro would be proud of me because I put him down."

"Screw compassion," he whispered. "Live and let die."

"Yes," I gasped in surprise. "That's what I was thinking!"

He smiled a little. "You said it."

"Oh, did I? Well the dying part applied to Caius. _You've_ got to live," I choked and shook my head. "We can't be apart. I just found you too." I smiled, trying to put on a brave face. "I love you."

"I know," he said, looking at me with a loving expression despite his grimace. Then his lids fluttered as he started losing consciousness. _No, stay with me!_ I pressed a little harder on the wound, trying to keep the blood in, and continued to chatter. My mind was making ridiculous connections and I let it flow freely.

"Hey, r-remember when we discussed how Paul put Linda in Wings because he didn't want to be separated from her when he went on tour? Well that's how I feel," I said, my eyes welling up. "You were right; we're in this together, okay?"

His eyes were closed. "Okay?" I pressed on the wound a little more. "Edward, please don't leave me!" I pleaded.

Suddenly I heard the door behind me crash open. "FBI! Hands up!"

"He's injured!" I shouted. "I need to help him."

"Hands up, right now!"

My tears were flowing freely now as my anger and fear took over. "Fucking shoot me if you're going to, but I'm not letting go of him!" I cried. "I- I think there are three dead – two here, one upstairs. There's a man tied up in the laundry room and another in this family room over here. Go get them! I'm not going anywhere!"

It felt like utter chaos as FBI agents ran around the house calling out when they found another body. Somewhere in the background, I heard sirens.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably only several minutes, a set of paramedics wheeled in a stretcher and pulled it up next to us. "Okay Miss, let go, we'll take it from here," they said, gently pulling me away from him.

"Edward," I said, not knowing if he could hear me as they checked his injuries and vitals. "R-re-member… I- I don't want to l-lose you either. S-stay alive for me."

"Okay, we're going to move him now, Miss. Please move back."

I stood as they lifted him onto the stretcher and strapped him in. "Will he be okay?"

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up quickly to see Edward's father there.

_Now he gets a clue._ I shook my head. "Hello, Carlisle. Welcome to the party at last," I said bitterly, as I hugged myself and turned to watch the paramedics wheel Edward to the door.

"Better late than never," he said. "Hello, _Izzy_." I looked up at him in surprise. His expression was a mixture of sadness and curiosity. "I've heard a lot about you."

* * *

**A/N2: Now, click your heels three times and repeat after me: ALE is a HEA kind of gal. **

**Thank you, as always, to her truly awesomeness - Irritable Grizzzly. **

**Please review. **

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from Wings' Live & Let Die and lines from Batman (the Tim Burton version) and Top Gun._

_Wings trivia:_

_We know who Paul McCartney is. And many of you know how much he loved his wife, Linda Eastman. Rather than go into the band's hits, I'll share this tidbit instead. _

_Legend has it that when Linda was pregnant with their daughter Stella, she had some complications and mother and daughter almost died. Paul prayed like crazy and during this time an image of angels and wings came to him. It became the band's name. _

_Other info:_

_Once again, RL mixes into my fic. __The origin for this story started with two dreams I had 15+ years ago. The first was what happened to Jake & Nessie in the Don McLean chapter. The second is what happened to Randy and Demetri in this one. Randy was played by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. Demetri was played by John Travolta._

_Yeah, I have fun dreams._

_Two days after X-mas, I went to The Gun Store in Vegas to do research for this chapter. While it sells guns, it is more like a real life arcade for people who want to shoot guns and pretend they're Rambo. Shooting the three handguns I selected for this story (a Beretta, Ruger and Glock) was scary as hell but so useful for this chapter. I'd never shot a gun before. I don't plan on making it a habit._


	23. The Moody Blues

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: This story was named a fic of the week at The Lemonade Stand for 2/22-2/28, so thank you to anyone who voted for it!_

_As a reminder, I'm not a doctor, lawyer, police officer or Fed (although after Silence of the Lambs, I wanted to be). I work full time and Google, Law and Order and Grey's Anatomy only help so much. Please cut me some slack._

_I'm not sure how many of you know this song. It is my fave of theirs from the 70s: slow and beautiful, and a nice example of symphonic rock -__ rock infused with a bit of classical composition. Apparently the one I've been listening to is a rare orchestral version of it from a 'best of' compilation on their Story of The Moody Blues CD, no longer manufactured. __Forget the ones on iTunes: find the one by neo1az on You Tube and turn it up._

_Here you go; longest chapter yet. I thought about splitting it, but decided we're done w/cliffies. The next one will be shorter. _

_Finally, the answers…  
_

* * *

**Chapter 22**

**The Moody Blues: Isn't Life Strange**

**#**

"_Hello, Izzy, I've heard a lot about you?" _

Had Carlisle been listening to the show all this time too? Or had his wife and daughter filled him in?

"From whom?" I asked quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"Who's been talking about me?"

Carlisle glanced around the room at the bustle of activity, and then back at me. "Later," he said softly.

I frowned and raised my hands to wipe my eyes only to realize they were stained with Edward's blood. My heart sank as I lowered my hands and looked down.

"I can't go with him, can I?"

"He's going to be in emergency care and then likely surgery. Even if you went, you wouldn't exactly have the opportunity to _be_ with him. It would be more helpful and would expedite the investigation if you stayed and explained what happened."

I looked at the men wheeling Edward out the door. "But, what if-" I stopped myself. I couldn't bear to speak the thought.

"I'm sending one of my agents with him. He'll call with updates on his status. I promise."

"Right. You promise," I huffed in frustration. "_You _put your son in jail. How do I know I can trust you?"

He was silent for a moment. "You don't," he said as he also watched the paramedics. "You just have to trust your gut."

_Wow, like father, like son._

He glanced at me and nodded, then went over and called out for one of the agents, who hurried over to him. They conferred for a few seconds, and then the agent followed the paramedics out the door. Carlisle pulled a phone out of his pocket, punched in some numbers, and walked away.

My body was numb as I watched the activity around me, and unformed questions floated through my brain. _How…? When…? _I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, trying to refocus… to stay sharp. I wanted this over quickly and allowing myself to go fuzzy wasn't going to accomplish that.

_How did I get here?_

Just over a month ago, I'd made a decision to do something different… to take a chance. At the time, I thought, "_What harm could it do?" _I wasn't taking a big risk by signing up to do The Great Treasure Hunt; this was real life, not the movies.

_Ha ha, you actually thought that, you idiot,_ my inner "could-lose-it-at-any-moment" self acknowledged. I mentally gave myself two sarcastic thumbs up. _Good going._

Well, at least I was right about one thing: life wasn't like the movies.

In the movies, the bad guy spills his guts right before he tries to take out the good guy. If the bad guy was a cop, evidence is in hand and irrefutable. The hero takes him down. The cops swarm in as the hero wanders out, looking a little worse for the wear, and he's immediately vindicated. Sometimes he kisses the girl. Sometimes he gets a handshake from the cop who worked the mystery from the other side and begrudgingly helped exonerate him. The music plays, the camera zooms out, and you know he's going to be okay as the closing credits roll. The end.

And then there was my life.

What was supposed to be fun turned into a nightmare, resulting in two of the people I most cared about getting shot, and me killing two very bad guys – the same guys responsible for Jacob's and Edward's injuries. Probably the same guys responsible for Edward's imprisonment.

_Probably? Ha!_ I scoffed. Caius had practically admitted this when he said Edward had been involved in this mess longer than I had. And then he bragged how he'd get off. Shit, he all but waved his badge in my face saying, "Diplomatic Immunity."

Ah, but he hadn't actually admitted it. He was smart until the end, which was possibly a VERY big problem for me. The real mess Jake and I had wandered upon hadn't exactly concluded all neatly wrapped up with a pretty bow.

"_What I believe… is that _this_ is all FAR from over,"_ Kenneth Branagh's eerie voice rang out in my head as I watched the agents.

Alec Nicholas was still out there and I had no idea if this scam of his involved broader, even less legitimate connections: mafias, cartels, gangs. We had no evidence, according to Alice, but she'd only been on the trail for two days.

"What the hell happened?" a voice boomed, snapping me out of my thoughts. Another man walked toward me. "Is that Caius Voltorini over there?" He angrily looked me up and down.

"Ms. Swan?" Agent Cullen said.

"_Spanish Inquisition, baby."_

Right. Be prepared. The inquisition was about to start, and there was no way I was going to talk without some guarantees.

"Ms. Swan?" Carlisle said again, and I realized he was standing next to me.

I stared back at the man who'd joined us, and it was clear he was someone with authority. SFPD? FBI? Internal Affairs? DA? I didn't know and I didn't care. I turned to Carlisle.

"I want to speak with my lawyer."

"You what?" the other man boomed.

Carlisle held up his hand toward the angry man. "Lee, please," he said, trying to calm him down. He gestured toward the guy and said to me, "Ms. Swan, this is Liam Mitchell. He's the Chief of Police of San Francisco."

I nodded in acknowledgment at the Chief, and then turned back to Carlisle. "I need a phone please. I'd like to call her."

The Chief pointed at me. "Was she involved in that? Has anyone read this woman her rights?"

"I know my rights," I snapped. "My father was the Chief of Police back home." Another agent walked over with the house phone. I shook my head. "It's dead. Could I use your phone, Agent Cullen?"

Carlisle stared at me for a moment, raised his eyebrows, and gave me a slight nod. His face was somber, but I could see that same bit of curiosity in his eyes as before, only this time it looked like it was mixed with something else…respect? He reached into his pocket and handed me his cell. Then he turned to Chief Mitchell. "Lee, a word in private, please."

They walked away and went down the hall. I quickly punched in the cell number and hoped to hell she'd answer. As I waited for the call to connect, I watched Carlisle speaking quietly to the Chief, attempting to read lips, which was not one of my talents. Mitchell's face contorted in surprise and he looked at Caius, then at me, and then back at Carlisle who said something else. The Chief's eyes widened and he shook his head, but Carlisle appeared to stand firm.

I was so wrapped up in trying to figure out what was being said, I nearly forgot what I was doing.

"Leah Clearwater-Uley speaking."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Leah, it's Bella."

"What the-" she blurted in surprise. "Bella? Where the hell have you been? And why is this call coming from Carlisle Cullen's number?"

Jeez, she was in full interrogation mode already and she was supposed to be on my side! I could only hope she'd use her evil powers for my good.

"I'll explain when you get here. As of this moment, I'm retaining you. I need your help _right now._ I'm in Seacliff."

"You need help in Seacliff and the FBI is involved?"

"Right the fuck now, Leah!" I hissed, not wanting to waste precious time. I wanted this done quickly so I could get to the hospital.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, clearly shocked by my newfound ability to speak her foul language. "Uh, gimme the address."

I told her where we were and then asked, "So, what, it'll take you thirty, forty minutes to get here from downtown?"

"No, it's your lucky day, Swan," she said. _Yeah, right, I'm so lucky._ "We had a delivery scheduled so I worked from home this afternoon. I'll be there in about fifteen. See you in a few."

True to her word, she arrived just about fifteen minutes later. The guy at the door wouldn't let her in.

"I'm Leah Clearwater-Uley from Brown, Harrison and Sweeney. I represent Ms. Swan."

As she walked inside, her eyes bugged out of her head when she took in my appearance.

"Should we go out front?" I asked.

Shaking her head, she said, "Camera crews were just pulling up, so no." She looked around. "This place is a mansion. Surely there's got to be some unused rooms."

Carlisle walked over with his hand extended. "Hello, I'm Carlisle Cullen. You can use my wife's office." He gestured off to his right. "It's down the hall there, second door on the left."

Leah's looked surprised when he mentioned his wife, but then she quickly recovered. She shook his hand. "We need real privacy. The room isn't bugged or anything is it?" she asked him pointedly.

"No. I'll make sure you aren't disturbed."

I followed Leah down the hall and into Esme's beautiful office. It was nice to see one part of the house that was untouched by this mess. Leah shut the door behind us and then whirled around to face me.

"What the fuck happened to you?" she hissed, gesturing at me with a horrified look on her face.

I could see my reflection in one of the windows, but I already knew I was a mess. My knuckles were scraped and I had a cut on my hand from the slide on the gun. I had a black eye, a burn mark on my forehead from where a shell casing had hit me, and my palms and clothes were stained with Edward's blood.

She said, "The last we heard, you'd entered that race with Jake, and then you told Ben you had an emergency and had to leave town. Did he do this to you?"

I did a double take. "Jake? No!" I said, appalled she would think that. "Look, I'm gonna give you the real short version because I need a deal and fast. I want to go to the hospital to be with Edward."

"Who the hell is Edward?"

"Just listen! On Saturday afternoon, Jake and I collected an item for the race. That night, some men came to Jake's house to get it back. He was shot trying to protect Nessie and me. I made it out, and went to Tony for help-"

"You _went_ to Tony? How did you even know-?"

"Leah!" I barked in warning. I continued more quietly. "Yes, I went to him and he and I have been on the run for the past four days. The bad guys attacked us here this evening and we took them out. One of the bad guys was Detective K. Caius Voltorini."

Leah looked at me, momentarily stunned. I knew it was a lot to take in. She shook her head. "Hang on. When you say 'took them out…' "

"There are three dead men in this house. I took out two and… _Tony_… got the other one."

"Bella," she whispered, a horrified look on her face, "you killed a San Francisco police officer?"

"He was a dirty cop. It was self-defense and to protect Tony – whose real name is Edward Cullen."

Just then the fax machine beeped. We both jumped and looked at it for a moment. Then she turned to me, her face registering the name in surprise. "Cullen? Related to Carlisle?"

"Yeah, his estranged son." I took a deep breath and stepped in closer. "That was the short version. The long version will make your head spin. I'm more than willing to cooperate, but before I say anything to them, I need you to negotiate two things."

I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was probably trying to figure out the lightest sentence she could get for me. I shook my head. "No," I said firmly.

She frowned. "No, what?"

"I want immunity and protection. We're not going down for killing those fuckers."

~#~

We talked for another few minutes and then made our way back into the lion's den. Several sets of eyes were upon us as we walked toward them. Carlisle and Liam came from the foyer and joined us.

"I want immunity," I said.

Chief Mitchell crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at Carlisle, but stayed silent. He looked annoyed and seemed to be holding his tongue.

Carlisle nodded. "You have it."

"Can you actually cut that deal?" Leah asked. "Don't you need approval from the regional supervisor?"

He nodded. "And I have it." He walked down the hall to Esme's office, quickly returning holding a piece of paper. He gestured to an agent who came up behind the Chief and handed Carlisle a file. Carlisle took out a pen and quickly signed both the fax, and the papers in the file. Then he handed them to Leah.

"This provides Ms. Swan complete immunity in exchange for her testimony. And the fax is the additional signed authorization from the regional supervisor."

"What about Edward?" I asked.

Leah opened the file and read the papers. "He's covered here as well."

"We need protection too. If you want us to make it to the trial, we have to make sure no one else comes after us."

Leah looked up from the papers. "That's included here too: Federal protection for you, Edward, Jake and Nessie."

I looked at Carlisle. "How did you kn-?" I stopped myself. _Alice._ She must have gotten the information to him.

"How were you able to get this approved so fast?" Leah asked, incredulously, clearly unaware of how much Carlisle already knew. "This is highly unusual, considering who's involved."

Carlisle quickly glanced at me, and then back to Leah. "I know some people."

_Jeez, he's the head of the local FBI. I'd hope so!_ I frowned and said to Leah, "Are we good?"

"We're good," she said incredulously.

"Okay." Something else needed to be addressed. "Agent Cullen, may I have a brief word with you?"

He seemed puzzled, but nodded. We walked down the hall and then paused once we were out of earshot.

"Have you heard any news about Edward yet?" I asked.

"He went to surgery fifteen minutes ago. My agent will let me know when he hears more."

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Can we trust everyone who's in this house right now? Your agents? Chief Mitchell?"

"Yes. I just had Alice run quick checks on all officers and agents here. She found no immediate ties, but she's working with one of my key contacts now. We're watching them, just in case."

I was relieved to hear that he was allowing Alice to help. "What about Jake and Nessie? You're going to need to question them too."

"Alice called your friends and gave them the heads-up that I was sending someone to bring them in. Two of my agents are already on the way. They know that Jacob needs medical attention as well, so they'll bring him to the hospital."

I nodded and looked away. "Agent Cullen, I want to thank you for getting on this so fast. I do appreciate it. But the story I'm about to tell isn't going to make you look very good, and it may open up a whole new can of worms for you. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do about that." I paused and glanced at him. "I tried to talk with you earlier today, but…"

"I know," he said and smiled sadly. "Just tell the truth, Ms. Swan. I'll handle whatever comes my way, and if I take some knocks… well, I probably deserve them." He gestured to the others. "Shall we?"

I took a deep breath and stood up straighter. _Time for this bird to sing._ "Yes."

~#~

Two and a half hours later, you could have heard a pin drop in Esme's living room. Agents, police chiefs, and lawyers alike were looking at me in shock. I could see that one or two wondered how this could be true, and it was apparent they were all shocked that I'd managed to make it out alive.

I showed them the flash drive and the files and notes Alice and I had made. They stopped me when necessary to clarify some points. They stopped me a lot when it came down to the final confrontation with Caius.

_Had he aimed a gun at me?_ In fact, he had. He never got a shot off because I fired first.

_What was that part about Edward's involvement and Carlisle's ignorance?_ I conveyed my opinion that Caius had tricked Carlisle into believing his son committed murders that Caius's team was in fact responsible for. I suggested they interrogate the hell out of Randy and Chuck.

_How was I able to fight and shoot as well as I did?_ I told them about my mom's self defense training, my shooting lessons with Dad, and Aro, though I never used his name, merely referring to him as my grandmother's neighbor.

I told them everything… well, almost everything. I left out the call to Mr. Aro, and I glossed over my physical relationship with Edward. These things weren't relevant. I did, however, admit that Edward and I were now involved.

I looked at the clock and stood. "I've told you everything that happened. If you need me to repeat it again tomorrow or the next day, I will. But since I'm not being charged, I'd like to go to the hospital and check on Edward, please." Sometime during the second hour, Carlisle had received word that Edward was out of surgery and in ICU. I wanted to see him.

All eyes turned to Carlisle. He, however, remained fixed on me as he nodded. "I'll take you to him and then bring you to where you'll stay the night. The marshals will arrange a different location for all of you tomorrow."

I grabbed the bag of clothes and my backpack, which was now free of the gun, flash drive and netbook I'd turned over as evidence. As we were walking to the door, Carlisle handed me a hooded trench coat. "It's Esme's. I suggest you put this on and use the hood to shield your face." He gestured to the front of the house. "There are a number of reporters outside the gate. My car is right by the garage and we'll go out through there. I'm going to put you in the back of the car because the windows are darker. We haven't revealed your name to the public, but these things get out quickly. Liam will issue a brief statement. Keep your head down."

As we walked out, the reporters called out his name, and lights and cameras lit up the driveway. We finally made it to the car and I rushed into the backseat, staying down, and soon we were zipping off toward California Pacific Medical Center.

At first, the ride was silent, the only external noise coming from the low hum of the motor. While I should have been thankful for the respite, my mind wouldn't stop churning. I'd spoken for hours and provided many answers for them, but I still needed some of my own.

"How did you get there so fast?" I asked.

He looked at me through the rearview mirror. "Regretfully, it wasn't fast enough."

"It was faster than it should have been. Alice had just realized the house system had been tampered with when they broke in. Fifteen minutes later, you were there."

He stared straight ahead. "A young woman came up to me today outside of the Pacific Union Club; she said she had information for me. As usual, I followed procedure and told her to talk to my colleague. Procedure went out the window after she'd made some strange comments and quickly bowed out when my… _friend_," he huffed, "Caius arrived."

Ah, so I guess he had caught the Cullen Code reference after all. And more!

"I returned to my office and did a background check on Arianna Curvato because that last name was… very unusual. The search yielded nothing. There were no DMV records. No birth certificate. I realized Arianna Curvato didn't exist.

"I decided to join Caius at his precinct to hear you out. I went over around four and was a little surprised to see that his official vehicle was parked outside, but he wasn't there. One of the officers said they'd seen him drive off in his personal car ten minutes before.

"Then suddenly I received a few calls and messages alerting me to your presence at my wife's house. Alice, who rarely contacts me, sent me an urgent yet cryptic three-line email: _You should have listened to Arianna. Don't trust your friend. Tony and Izzy are at Esme's." _

This explained a lot. Alice HAD gotten through to him. "Is that why you called me Izzy? To clue me in that you were on my side and not Caius's? Had you listened to Edward's program?"

He glanced at me again in the mirror. "Not often. My wife played me a few clips of the two of you talking, but…" He trailed off as he pulled into a spot near one of the Medical Center's many entrances, then took out his phone and placed a call. "We're here," he said. "We'll be right up." He hung up, then looked at me and said, "Come on, let's get you inside."

We zigged and zagged through the hospital, finally ending up on the third floor where Agent Clark met us. Standing next to him was a small woman in scrubs. Agent Clark introduced her as Dr. Lombardi, the doctor who had handled Edward's surgery.

She quickly explained that Edward's vital signs were stable and that he'd been lucky. Because he was moving away from Caius, the angle caused the bullet to nick the lower right lobe of his liver before lodging itself into the ascending colon. Due to his blood loss, he needed a transfusion, but they had removed the bullet, and stopped the bleeding. Because of the injury to the colon, they had him on antibiotics and were monitoring him in the ICU.

"Can we see him?" I asked.

"He's still out from the surgery and we'll probably sedate him for a while when he wakes up. In addition to the puncture wound, he had two fractured ribs. When he wakes up, he'll be in a lot of pain. You can go in for a few minutes, but not much more."

I followed her for a few steps but suddenly noticed that Carlisle wasn't with us. I stopped and turned to see him standing where we'd left him. "Aren't you coming?"

His face was wary. "I don't know if he'd want me there."

Truthfully, the answer was probably no. But it seemed to me that Carlisle _wanted_ to see his son, and that was a good start; the olive branch needed to come from some direction. I walked back to him, shrugged, and then tugged on his arm.

"He's knocked out. He won't know. But stay quiet anyway, just in case."

We followed Dr. Lombardi into Edward's room. It hurt to see him. His bruises were the only color that stood out on his pale form. It seemed that there were tubes everywhere, and a number of machines off to his right kept beeping and flashing numbers.

I wanted to touch him, but I was afraid I'd hurt him or hit a tube. Finally, I got closer and ran my fingers through his matted-down hair, mussing it up into his Edward-messy look. Then I kissed the top of his head and leaned in close to his ear. "Hey, you," I whispered, "I'm here. You need to get better for me, okay?" I paused, and then said, "We stick together."

When I straightened up, I noticed Carlisle had a sad, almost pained expression as he looked at his son. Our eyes met and then he looked down, took a deep breath, and put his hands in his pockets.

Suddenly, Esme appeared in the doorway behind him. She looked shocked when she noticed Carlisle standing there. Then she saw me and smiled before taking in her son. Her face fell as she entered the room and stopped at Carlisle's side. She touched his arm and he looked at her in surprise, but then covered her hand and nodded.

I bent down and kissed Edward on the forehead. "I'll be back in the morning. I expect you to have made a full recovery by then, okay?"

I backed away and then walked out of the room, followed by Carlisle and Esme. I walked away a bit to give them a moment, but I could still hear them in the quiet hallway.

"I'm taking Bella to her hotel for the night. It's very close; I'll be back shortly." He paused. "You can't go to your house tonight. I can arrange to get you a hotel room… or you're more than welcome to stay at my apartment. I can fill you in on what happened…" he finished, his voice somewhat hesitant, yet hopeful.

"Thanks. I- I may take you up on that," she said quietly. "Come back and find me. I'll be here." Carlisle walked over to me as Esme smiled and said, "Goodnight, Bella. I'll see you tomorrow."

I nodded. "Good night."

Carlisle and I made our way out of the hospital in silence. When we got to his car, he opened the front passenger door for me. "I think it's all right for you to sit up here now." I climbed in, and he shut the door, then made his way around to his side, got in and started the car.

As he pulled away he said, "I know you're wondering how I could have turned on my son. I have no good excuse, to be honest. I thought I was doing the right thing…"

He took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, then exhaled.

"My father was a Reverend. He was deeply religious and extremely moral. He had a strong work ethic; his parish, his community came first. We were close, and I respected him so much for who he was. I aspired to have a similar relationship with my son, and for a while, when he was a young boy, we did. We were a happy family."

He looked melancholy, remembering what used to be.

"As parents, we always think we know what's best for our children, even though our personalities may in fact be fundamentally different. When he first met Tanya, we could see she was a bad influence. He changed when he was with her. I thought that by pushing him, he'd realize I was right…"

"But we have to make our own mistakes," I said. "It's how we learn."

"Yes," he agreed. "That's a lesson _I_ learned the hard way. My son may never forgive me for what I did to him."

"You may be right," I admitted.

"I trusted the wrong people. I let my position grow bigger and more important than my family. I lost my son and my wife." He shook his head sadly.

"Your wife still loves you."

"And I love her so very much." When he pulled over, I looked out the window and noticed we were still in Pacific Heights in front of a small hotel: the Drisco. He waved the bellman off and turned off the car. "Believe it or not, I love my son as well. Not a day goes by that I haven't regretted my actions in some small part, and it only got worse once he was exonerated. And now, knowing that Caius…"

He closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. "You asked if I listened to the show. I heard it on occasion and thought it was wonderful. But I couldn't listen regularly because it hurt too much. It was just more evidence of how I'd failed him." He looked at me. "I can't change the past, but I can try to do things differently in the future. My family comes first now. I'd like to build a new relationship with Edward…"

"I don't know if he'll let you," I said. "If he does, I don't think it will be anytime soon. He was pretty angry when he found out I'd sought your help today."

"I certainly understand why. I can wait until he's ready. It's the least I can do. I only hope that he'll give me the chance at some point." We both opened our doors and got out. One of his agents exited the hotel and joined us.

"Are Jake and Nessie here?" I asked.

"No," Carlisle responded. "As I said, Jake needed hospitalization, and we put him in a different facility from Edward. Nessie is with him."

"Please make sure they're protected too. They're like my siblings, which makes them the only family I've got."

He raised his eyebrows and cocked his head. "I don't know about that. From what I heard today, you have a lot of people who care about you." He turned to the agent waiting for us. "I'll be back in the morning to bring her to the hospital. Good night, Ms. Swan," he said as he turned to go.

"Bella," I called after him. He paused and turned around. "Please, call me Bella." He smiled and nodded, then got in his car and left.

Agent Sims escorted me to our room. It was a little odd to have him in the same suite, but I guessed I was going to have to get used to some level of intrusiveness if I wanted to be safe until we could get Nicholas, and whoever else was involved, behind bars. He showed me the layout and amenities, explained the rules/protocol for their guarding process, and then settled on the sofa in the living room.

It was past eleven when I finally bid him goodnight and retreated to my room. I collapsed on the bed, physically exhausted, and yet still so keyed-up from the day. Sleep wasn't forthcoming, so I went to the bathroom, quickly drew a hot bath, and sank in, willing myself to relax. The water felt wonderful as it soaked into my weary muscles, but I had so much information churning through my head, I couldn't unwind.

I thought of Edward and his family. A father misled. A son wronged. A family torn apart. If Edward had any thoughts running through his brain right now, I vindictively hoped he felt some satisfaction that he'd gotten at least one jab in – literally – before Caius went down.

I dried off, put on his t-shirt, and crawled into bed. At 12:30, when sleep still hadn't come, I turned on the clock radio and tuned to KFOG. I smiled when Edward's voice came on. I guess the station was running his old segments…

_~twtm~_

"_Man, I miss the rich sounds of symphonic rock. When done right, it's nearly perfect. Tonight's program is devoted to those bands that did it so well._

_"It was hard for these songs to be replicated in concert because the bands couldn't exactly bring the orchestra on tour with them. However, when it did happen, audiences were treated to the song as it was intended to be heard._

"_First up: this British band was well known for its symphonic sound. They first released one of their best known songs in 1967, and it reached as high as number nineteen on the UK charts. However, after the success of longer, more dramatic songs being played during that time, they rereleased this ditty in 1972 and it hit #2 on the Billboard chart._

"_Name the band and the song, and for the gold star, tell me the how long it is. The first Foghead to answer correctly… will probably get to keep her Queen title for yet another day…"_

~#~

I smiled sadly and turned the radio down as I heard my own voice. He was being a smart-ass that night but he was right, I did know the answer and had been the first caller. After that, we'd spent time discussing symphonic rock – including songs by ELO, Yes, and early Genesis.

We talked about what he said regarding the orchestra, and then joked how it would be cool if we all had symphonies following us around like the Verizon guy with his network. Say, whenever you had a good day at work, the orchestra would play and end with a big finish.

I listened for the next few hours, hoping his voice would bring me comfort, but it only served to sadden me even more. Eventually I turned off the radio and sighed. Where was our orchestra? When the hell was I going to get the final crescendo to signal the happy ending? Here I was, trying to sleep at the end of a day where I'd just fought and killed a bunch of bad guys, and it still wasn't over. I had a guard keeping watch in the living room, and somewhere out there, guards were protecting Jake and Edward's hospital rooms. And an unknown danger was possibly still looming. Did it end with Alec Nicholas?

I tossed and turned, eventually falling asleep around three. However, I woke up a little after six the next morning, having dreamt of the shooting. The good news was that no one I knew was getting hurt. The bad news was that I had become Rambo in my dreams.

Since Carlisle wasn't expected until eight, I had time to kill. I dressed and fidgeted as I turned on the TV and channel surfed. Every local news station was broadcasting footage from Esme's house. Surprisingly, neither my name nor Edward's came up, even though I saw images of hooded me getting in Carlisle's car.

By the time seven rolled around, I thought I'd go mad. The hospital was really only about nine or ten blocks away. I wondered if Agent Sims would just let me walk there alone, or go with me. I went to the living room, but was surprised to find that he wasn't there. On a side table near the honor bar, a pot of coffee and a basket of baked goods sat waiting with a note next to it that he went down to get the paper. I poured myself a cup, added my usual fixings, and had taken only a sip or two when there was a knock on the door. I gasped in surprise, but then heard the key in the lock. Breathing again, I realized Agent Sims was probably giving me a heads-up that he was coming back in. I was looking through the bread basket when I heard the door open.

It took a second or two before I realized I hadn't heard it shut. Worried that I was about to come under attack, I scanned the area around me furtively for any items I could use as a weapon. I had just determined that whoever was behind me was about to get scalding coffee in his eyes when I heard him speak.

"Hello, bella donna."

I whirled around in shock, coffee pot in hand. There, standing in the doorway, was my old friend.

"M- Mr. Aro?" I sputtered.

He looked serious, but there was amusement in his big brown eyes as he said, "Your reactions used to be a lot faster than that, Isabella. I hope that coffee was meant for my face." He gestured to the living room. "May I come in?"

"Yes, of course," I said recovering from my surprise. He walked in and closed the door behind him. Then he turned back to me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"You called me," he said with a smile.

That I had. But still… I looked at my long-lost friend and neighbor. Though it had been a long time since I'd last seen him, he appeared to be in great shape. The years had been good to him; he'd barely aged, it seemed. Still, he looked a little different. He had a little more gray in his hair, and something else was off…

"You look so beautiful, Isabella. So grown up." He slowly came closer until he was standing in front of me and then he reached out to as if to touch my face. He paused. "May I?" he asked. I nodded and he ran his thumb just under my black eye. Then he glanced at my forehead and grimaced. "I know you've been through hell."

"How…?" So many questions floated through my brain, all fighting to get out at the same time. _How did you get here? How do you know? How are you?_

He backed away and looked out the windows. "Just about seventeen hours ago, I came home to a message that brought me great joy… and then almost stopped my heart. My bella donna called me… to say goodbye? I instantly recognized the desperation in your tone. Then you said the things _I'd _taught you had proven useful lately? Well, none of it was good news."

He turned to look at me. "Imagine my surprise when I learned that you were calling from Esme Cullen's house. Esme, the wife of Carlisle Cullen, the head of the San Francisco FBI – the same Carlisle Cullen who'd just been looking up information on _A. Curvato_. Esme, the mother of Edward Cullen, former prisoner-turned-DJ Tony Masen – who you'd befriended… the same Edward I believe you referenced in your message to me."

I gaped at him. "How did you figure that out so fast?" If this was true, he had skills that would put Alice's to shame.

He pursed his lips and gestured to the door with his head. "Let's take a walk."

"I'm not supposed to leave. I'm under witness protection, sort of."

"Yes, I know. Trust me; no one will harm you. I can guarantee that. Besides, Carlisle knows you're with me."

_Carlisle knows Mr. Aro? For how long?_ I put on my sneakers and Esme's trench coat, then grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. He nodded and we made our way downstairs. He waved at Agent Sims, who was sitting in the lobby having coffee. The agent nodded back at us and then continued reading his paper. We turned right out of the hotel and walked east on Pacific in silence. I glanced at him expectantly. He gave me a side-eye and smiled. At last, he started talking.

"In 1962, I met a girl who kicked my ass in poker. I rescued her from a bunch of lowlifes, and then we ran off. We traveled together for about three weeks and she instantly became my best friend. She could read me like no other, which was very disarming considering the overseas assignment I was soon leaving on. I learned a lot from her," he said wistfully.

I chuckled. "I always found that funny: You called her a girl, but you were her age!"

"No," he said. "I told her I was nineteen as well, but I was actually almost twenty-five. She figured out quickly that I was lying."

I frowned. "Why would you lie about that?"

"I was traveling around before starting a new job and I was playing around with different… personae. As you know, she saw right through me from the start," he said with a grin. "Anyway, she told me about Geoffrey back at home, and the wedding that might never happen. I told her about my life. Being around her was so easy; easier than with anyone I'd ever encountered."

He gestured to the park I hadn't realized we'd come upon. "Let's sit over here," he said, leading the way to a bench. We wiped off the dew and sat. The air was crisp and wet, but it felt nice to be out. Alta Vista Park was atop one of the hills in Pacific Heights and we sat side-by-side on the bench, which overlooked the haze covering the Western Addition, Lower Pac Heights, and other points south.

He continued. "A few nights before I was to leave, she called her friend Chelsea. As it turned out, Geoffrey was there trying to get her to tell him where Gracie was. He got on the phone and begged your grandmother to come back."

"Suddenly I was torn. This was the moment she'd been waiting for and I should have been happy for my friend. Imagine my surprise when I realized I was horribly jealous instead. _He_ was going to get to have the life I never knew I wanted. _He_ was going to get the girl I'd fallen in love with."

_Wha? Fallen in love with?_ I gaped at him, but he continued staring straight ahead.

"When she got off the phone, we talked. We fought. We made up. Fundamentally, she was my friend and I knew I had no right to stop her from going forward with her life, especially considering my current predicament." He folded his hands on his lap and looked down at them. "Then the night before she left to go back home and I left to go overseas, I made love to my best friend."

_Well, they sure as hell left out a big part of that story all these years! _

My mind was reeling. I didn't think I could be more shocked after his appearance in my room but I was wrong. "B- but, she loved Grandpa, didn't she?"

He smiled. "Yes, she loved Geoffrey. But she loved me too. You may never know what it feels like to think that this might be the one and only chance you have with someone you care so much about…"

My eyes widened. Oh boy, how I knew that feeling!

I stared at my old friend as I processed this new information; he remained still, looking at his hands. It was funny; he looked almost like I remembered him, with slight differences. He seemed to be wearing his hair a little shorter and he had more gray throughout. He wasn't wearing his glasses, so that might have been throwing me off.

Other than that, the only thing that was new was the mustache. It kind of made him look more distinguished and a little older. He'd always had a boyish face which I guess was why he thought he could fool Grams into thinking he was younger when they met. Dad always wore his mustache because he said it covered his baby-face and-

"_All we can do is be happy with ourselves and with our family…" "And our friends…" "They're one and the same to me, Curvato."_

Suddenly, I felt a chill run through me that had nothing to do with the fog. _Holy shit. _To say I had a moment of clarity was an understatement. It was like a big anvil with the word "DUH" dropped from the sky and onto my head. I didn't know why I'd never seen it before.

He raised his head and stared straight ahead, a small smile appearing on his face. He knew I had it.

"_You're _my grandfather," I whispered.

"Yes," he said quietly.

"But she married him…"

He looked at me, his expression wistful once again. "She did. It might have turned out differently if circumstances had been different. Believe me, had it not been for that, I probably would have fought him for her."

"_Sometimes the people we love don't stay with us. They can't. That's life."_

"Where did you go? Why did you have to leave?"

His gazed at me steadily. "I worked for the CIA internationally for twenty years, fifteen in the field."

I stood quickly and paced. I felt so stupid. For days Alice and Edward had been referencing my "spy skills" and I'd brushed them off. Hell, Edward had even asked me about Aro's last name: _"Was it an alias or something? I mean, with all those things he taught you…what did he do for a living?"_

"You were a spy."

"I was involved in clandestine operations, yes."

"And so Curvato's not your real last name."

"It's not my birth name, no. It was a joke. Gracie started calling me that when I told her of my new job. She thought working for the CIA was shady and she called me a criminal."

"_Aro Curvato, don't you dare teach my granddaughter your sneaky criminal ways!"_

"I took the name when I left the field. As it turned out, that name was how I was able to find you. Carlisle did a search on Arianna Curvato and when he didn't find her, he started looking up A. Curvato. I instantly received word that someone was searching for that name in the Federal database. Of course my real identity was classified, but I didn't know who or what was behind this.

"As I said, I'd just received your message and, through my contacts, I quickly figured out a few things. First: you hadn't used your credit card in days. Nor had you used your cell phone or home phone, or accessed your bank account; you were off the grid. Moreover, neither you nor Tony had been on the radio for days. And you mentioned Edward. It was likely that you and he were together.

"With that, I got Carlisle's number and called him. I said, "This is _Aro Curvato._ Would you mind telling me why you're searching the database for my name and why Isabella "Izzy" Swan just called me in tears from your wife's house to say goodbye?"

So that's how Carlisle knew so much. _"…suddenly I received a few calls and messages alerting me to your presence at my wife's house."_

"Did you tell Carlisle you're my grandfather?"

"No. I wasn't about to tell him before I told you. Besides, that's something your grandmother and I kept very classified."

_Classified. Wow._ "Did Grandp-" I stopped. What did I call him now that my real grandfather was here? "Did he know about you and Grams?"

"Yes. She told him. When she'd left, he took advantage of his freedom. He wasn't wild by any means, but he was a young man, almost out of his teens. He hadn't been sure before she left, but absence made his heart grow infinitely fonder. When they reunited this time, they knew. They got married and just around nine months later, Charlie was born."

I looked at the man sitting before me and for the first time scrutinized his features. He was of similar coloring and stature to the photos I'd seen of Grandpa Geof. "Did he suspect…"

"He knew it was a possibility, but he didn't care. She came back to him and that's all that mattered."

"But she came back because you were leaving."

"No," he said firmly. "She came back because she loved him. I said I would have fought him for her, but I'm not sure I would have necessarily won. She loved us both… but she loved him more."

_Isn't love strange?_

"Anyway, I left knowing I had to go, but desperately wishing it could be different."

_Wished I could be in your heart…_

"That was the first of many tough decisions I'd had to make over the next several years, but certainly not the last. My brief time with her taught me so much, and made me stronger. It hardened me, in a way, because I'd walked away from the first woman I ever truly loved. I tried to put it out of my mind, but every once in a while, I'd think of her and wonder if she would have chosen me."

_Wished I could be in your eyes…_

"On what turned out to be my last field assignment in Italy, I met a beautiful woman and we hit it off. It was instant chemistry, just like I'd had fourteen years earlier. She was very different from Gracie, but then again, I was a different man as well. This time, I didn't throw it away; I finished the job and then asked for an office assignment. I was honest with Sulpicia… told her what I had been and why I didn't want to do it anymore. I wanted to be with her. We came back to the states in '87."

I knew this part. He'd never met Grandpa Geof, who died when I was two. "Was it really random that you and Grams ended up in Phoenix a few years later? Or did you have a hand in that?"

"No, that was actually a coincidence. As you know, Sulpicia and I ran into Gracie with Charlie, Renee, and you as they were getting her settled into her new home. We had a place a few miles away. It was Sulpicia who instantly picked up on the similarities between Charlie and me. I called your grandmother a few days later and she met me, with you in tow. I took a couple of strands of your hair when she wasn't looking, and…"

I chuckled and shook my head. "Of course you did." I paused. "Dad never knew?"

"No, we didn't want anything to taint his memory of his father or ruin his relationship with his mother. Anyway, it worked out well. This was a few years before Chelsea divorced and moved to Phoenix, and Charlie was happy Gracie had a friend nearby in case she needed anything. Sulpicia knew there was nothing between your grandmother and me, and you got to be the granddaughter that we could never have."

I wrapped my arms around myself as childhood memories floated quickly through my brain. I processed my past with a fresh perspective and it was as if I was rearranging one of those double-sided puzzles, with the pieces now forming a slightly different picture.

He looked at his watch and stood. "You look chilly. Let's keep walking. I know you want to get to the hospital."

I nodded and we walked out of the park in silence. As the pieces tumbled into place, only one question remained.

"Why did you kick me out?" I blurted. "All these years, I've never understood how you could do that and now… well, it makes even less sense."

He took a big breath and held it for a few seconds. Then he exhaled slowly. "That was a deal I cut with your grandmother. She made me promise that I'd let you go to live your life. She wanted me to force you, if I had to. _"Do whatever it takes, Curvato, even if it hurts. She'll just stay in her shell if you don't." _And believe it or not, after all those years with the government, after all the clandestine assignments, THAT was the hardest thing I ever had to do."

He looked at me somberly, his eyes a little glassy."In the span of a few months, I'd lost the only three women I ever truly loved. Both my wife and my old friend were taken from me due to illness. Sending my only granddaughter away nearly broke me."

_To throw it away… to lose just a day…_

"I pulled in all the money, hid it, and told you I lost it. Your face that day…" he grimaced and looked upward. "You were so young. Then you ran, just as we wanted. And you never looked back. All those years, I tried to reach out to you, but you never responded."

I felt horrible. They'd done this FOR me. So that I could live my life, make my mistakes, grow. All those years…

_The quicksand of time, you know it makes me want to cry, cry, cry…_

He wiped his eyes. "So finally, after eight years, you call… and I learn that you're in trouble… but you used what I taught you and survived."

"Yes, thank God." An odd thought suddenly occurred to me. "Did you train me on purpose? Were you trying to give me spy skills?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No! I wasn't exactly the normal grandfather who fished and carved wood. I spent time with my granddaughter doing the things I knew how to do. Because of what happened to your parents, you really took to all those 'badass' hobbies, and you were a natural," he said proudly. "You learned well." Then he got serious. "You put the bad guys down at last." He stopped walking. "And here we are."

I looked around and noticed we'd arrived at the Medical Center. As I took in the buildings around me, everything looked clearer, more vibrant. My brain was humming with this new knowledge. I stared down at my feet. "Do we continue to keep this a secret?"

"Tell only those who need to know. Edward, of course. Carlisle should know, but I can handle that, as I've offered my assistance in this investigation. And, perhaps your Dr. Whitlock over there."

I whipped around to see Jasper standing on the sidewalk in front of the hospital. "What…?" I shook my head and waved. Then I turned back to Aro. "What happens now?"

"We're going to get them, Isabella," he said confidently. "We'll keep you safe until we can put all those involved behind bars." He stepped closer. "As for me, well, I'm always here if you need me. We can make that happen."

I nodded furiously and then threw my arms around him. "Yes, I want that."

I could hear the smile in his voice as he hugged me tightly to him and kissed my head. "You don't know how happy I am to hear that, my sweetheart." He let go of me and we stepped apart. "Go. I'll see you very soon. And I'm looking forward to meeting the man who finally deserves your heart."

I watched him walk down the block. Then a black car pulled up alongside him and he got in.

"Isabella?" Jasper said as he walked over to me.

I turned to him and smiled. "Hi Jasper."

He took in the marks on my face. "I got a call from your friend Leah last night, indicating you might need to speak with me. That you'd been through some "major shit" and would probably need a whole team of therapists."

I laughed. "Actually, I think your work is done here. I'm out of my bubble… and thanks to Mom, Dad, Grams, Aro," I said, gesturing at the car driving down the road, "and Tony, I've learned how to live in the now."

Jasper's eyes widened. "Mr. Aro?" he asked, pointing at the car. Then he blinked. "Tony?" He paused. "Isabella-" he began.

"Please, I think we can drop the formalities. Call me Bella."

He gave me a curious look and slowly smiled. "Well, I'm not sure it's done, but we're clearly near the end."

"I think we are." I gestured toward the hospital. "Come on, I can fill you on the way."

We walked around the campus to the side entrance and I gave him the high points. I did the race. We were attacked. I ran to Tony and we left the city. How Alice helped us get to the bottom of this. We came back to San Francisco, and then I put Mr. Aro's sneaky criminal ways to good use.

His eyes bugged out of his head as we made our way up in the elevator. "Oh, we're not done with this conversation. I'm going to need more information!"

I smiled as the elevator stopped on the third floor. No sooner had we stepped out than Alice came running at me. "There you are! Where the hell have you been? Agent Sims said you left over an hour ago!"

"Nice to see you too, Alice."

Jasper looked at the little dynamo in front of us with amusement in his eyes. "The Big O, I presume?" I grinned and nodded. He turned to her. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, ma'am." He extended his hand. "I'm Jasper Whitlock."

Alice looked like she was in a love-haze as she stared at my very handsome therapist. "Oh no, you are NOT Dr. Whitlock," she said, as she took his hand. "He's an old guy."

Jasper smiled. "That's my father, and he'd be a little put out if you called him old."

They stood staring at each other, their hands still clasped in their handshake. I backed away. "Okay then, I'll just go see Edward."

"Oh!" she said, breaking out of her haze. "He's out of ICU. He's on the sixth floor, room 623."

"Well," Jasper said, letting go of her hand, "I'll let you two go."

"Uh, no!" Alice exclaimed. "No," she said a little quieter. "I was waiting here to tell Bella where to find him. I need to get some coffee." She paused nervously. "W- would you care to join me, Dr. Whitlock?"

He smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "I'd love to. But, please, call me Jasper." He turned to inquire about the cafeteria.

As I pressed the button for my floor she mouthed, _"Oh my God!"_ I winked at her as the doors closed.

I entered his room quietly, and found a male nurse making notes in Edward's chart and checking the buttons on the machine next to his bed.

"Is he okay?" I asked.

The nurse nodded, still looking at his chart. "He's going to be. He's got a bit more color today, but he's on a lot of painkillers." He turned and looked at me, coming closer when he saw my face. "Wow, that's quite a shiner." He paused and cocked his head. "Are you Izzy? Or Bella?"

"I'm both, actually."

He smiled. "Ah. He's been talking to you in his sleep this morning." He grabbed his chart and headed for the door.

As he was about to leave I asked, "What did he say?"

"Not much. Just a few words here and there that I could make out: _"My IzzyBella…" "stick together..." "brown-eyed girl…"_ He shrugged and then shut the door behind him.

_What?_ I frowned. "Edward Cullen," I whispered, as I leaned over to kiss his forehead, "have you been thinking sixties songs behind my back?"

I backed away and quietly moved a chair closer to his bed, then sat down next to him. I looked at his bruised face and limp body and listened to the sounds of the heart monitor, as well as the noises coming from outside the room. I reached over and took his hand, then closed my eyes, taking a deep cleansing breath and centering my thoughts.

Aro used to tell me that I was a lot like Grams, and I now knew how true that was; I learned a lot from her, more than I even realized. She WAS a hawk and her intuition and powers of observation guided her wisely; it taught her who to trust. In a time of need, Grams found and trusted Aro, who'd changed her life forever.

"_Life is just strange, baby bird. Sometimes you run into the most important people in your life in the strangest ways and places." _

Just over a month ago, I'd made a decision to do something different… to take a chance. At the time, I thought, "_What harm could it do?" _I wasn't taking a big risk by doing the NSAR-SF; this was real life, not the movies. In the process, I almost lost my life… and in the end, I found my heart.

In _my_ time of need, I trusted my gut and ran to the only person I could think of… the person I'd come to believe was my _friend_. How random that our fates had been intertwined from the start… and that the people responsible for knocking him off-course and putting him in that DJ booth were the same ones who forced me to seek his help.

_Isn't life strange?_

And despite the crazy, desperate way we'd come together, despite the bumps and the reopening of many old wounds, he'd come through for me in spades. Like him, I never stood a chance. He had me from his first words. From that moment on, it was only him.

_Looking back, there you were…_

Grams had often told me that God had a plan for us all. At the time, I didn't believe her. I wasn't sure I did now. However, I was sure of one thing: while we were far from finished with this mess, I had faith Edward would recover and we'd make our way through the next few months of whatever was required of us to start anew… together. We'd get our orchestra, our big finish, our happy ending…eventually.

Suddenly he squeezed my hand. I opened my eyes to see him sleepily gazing at me.

My heart instantly soared and I welled up. But at least they were tears of joy.

"Hey, darlin'," he whispered groggily, his throat hoarse.

_And here we are…_

I squeezed his hand and grinned at him as my tears fell.

"Hi."

* * *

**A/N2: The next chapter will be the last. **

**Thank you, as always, to Irritable Grizzzly, for betaing this long and winding story. **

**Please review. **

_Post A/N: __Also not mine – lyrics from The Moody Blues' Isn't Life Strange and lines from Lethal Weapon 2 and Dead Again._

_Here are the answers to Tony's questions:_

_- The Moody Blues  
- Nights in White Satin  
- The album version of NiWS is 7:38 long. The 70's radio re-release was 4:26._


	24. Kenny, Stevie, Tony, Frankie, and Elton

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: Hello. Long time, no chapter. Sorry, but this final chapter was another bear to complete: writing, smashing it all, rewriting, and mucho research. _

_I have a long A/N at the end (including the entire playlist for this story). If you're one of those who skips A/Ns, you're probably not even reading this, ha! However, if you are, I want to thank you for reading and ask now - __please__ leave a review when you're done. Otherwise, I'll see you at the end. _

_Now, on to the conclusion... __Heads-up that none of these fit the definition of 70s rock (okay, one technically does). And no trivia in this one because… it's a medley! _

_To quote Steve Winwood, "Just roll with it, baby…"_

* * *

**Chapter 23**

**Kenny & Stevie, Tony & Dawn, Frankie, and Elton: On Friendship, Clarity, and Love**

**#**

You learn a lot about your significant other when you live together.

I already knew this from my time with Mike. The niceties and best behavior that one displays when you're dating disappear, and you see all the warts and wrinkles as the true self and annoying habits become glaringly evident.

Given that Edward and I had been practically joined at the hip during what I hoped would be the lowest point we'd ever spend together, I thought we'd seen the worst already.

I was wrong.

Here's what I learned very quickly during our first week in isolation together: Edward Cullen, my dream man, was far from dreamy when he was in pain. And boy, was he in pain.

It wasn't purely physical, although with the surgery and the broken ribs, that was certainly a major part of it. No, it was his parents' sudden involvement in our lives that compounded the stress of the already-stressful situation, and seemed to slow whatever progress we'd make each day.

They say that time heals all wounds.

His physical injuries would mend relatively quickly. But his emotional ones…

I think it's gonna be a long, long time.

~#~

Alec Nicholas was a lucky SOB. While his ancestry was Greek, I began to wonder whether he wasn't also part Irish. The esteemed businessman had his brief lunch with Caius at the Pacific Union Club that Wednesday afternoon, and then hopped a plane to Paris for a twelve-day trip to attend a Biotech conference and also to meet with various companies to determine whether there were investment or technology-leveraging opportunities. Everyone was so focused on getting to us at Esme's house that no one had been watching him, and he slipped through their fingers.

However, Carlisle and Aro thought this was actually a good thing. Nicholas could go about his business while the investigative team went about theirs, researching and putting together all the connections so that by the time he returned, they'd be well on their way to making the arrests.

"But what if he hears the news about his cousin and the other two thugs, and decides not to come back?" I asked, while Carlisle and I sat outside Edward's hospital room together on Thursday night.

"Well, it's highly doubtful that would happen. Alec and Caius never publicized their familial link, since they're distant cousins. And the public story right now is that Caius is a hero, trying to protect my wife at her home when he got wind of a plot to hurt her," he said tersely.

I shook my head angrily. "I hate that he gets to be the good guy in this..."

"As do I, however it's only until the full story comes out. Luckily, Chuck and Randy were knocked out during the shootout, so they can't claim that it didn't happen as we've put forth without implicating themselves. So far, they're not talking. But this was the only way we could ensure there'd be no public outcry that you and Edward weren't arrested for the murders."

"I sure hope you're right that Alec won't decide to run."

Carlisle's eyes flashed. "Well if he does, we'll make use of Aro's connections. Whether voluntarily or by force, we'll get Nicholas back in the country."

~#~

"Thank God she's gone at last," Edward said a week later as he sat at the table eating his soup.

I was having a bowl too as I sat on the counter watching him. "You weren't very nice to her, you know. Luckily she's used to cranky patients, but there was no need for your hostility."

"I didn't want her around."

"No, you didn't want a nurse _Esme was paying for _around. But we needed the help."

"No, we did-"

I cut him off. "_I_ needed the help, Edward. I've never dealt with gunshot wounds before, and I wouldn't have known what to do. Having her around these past three days has been a blessing, and she was great. So remember that as we move ahead because I'm NOT used to cranky patients." I put my bowl on the counter and then placed my hands on either side of my knees as I lightly kicked the cabinet. "You'd better be nice to _me_. Time wounds all heels."

He chuckled as he took another sip. "Yes, Boss."

I looked at him and marveled how just over a week before I'd been kneeling over him trying to stem the bleeding. He looked so much better. The cuts on his face were healing, the bruises fading, and he was a bit more mobile. He'd lost a lot of weight and was still a little weak, but I was optimistic that the change in diet to incorporate soft foods, and that he was now walking on the treadmill, would help him regain his strength. And since we were in a waiting mode as the investigative team continued its work, our focus was on his recovery.

"So are they really going to get you some work files so you can continue your project for Ben?"

I smiled. "Yeah, since all I'm doing is analyzing data at this point, it's something I can do remotely, and it'll give me something else to keep me busy."

"My job doesn't let me do anything here," he muttered.

"Maybe you could research eighties bands next," I offered, half-joking, half-serious. "It would broaden your work skills, and you'd have something else to test me on. I'd love to learn some new things from you."

He smiled, and for a moment I saw the Edward I'd come to know over our ordeal. "Oh, darlin', I haven't even begun to school you on the things I know," he said suggestively, then slowly helped himself up from his chair and came to stand in front of me.

I did a double-take over his sudden change in attitude. He'd been so out-of-it and annoyed during the past week, it was thrilling to see this teeny bit of playfulness again. My soup must have had magic healing properties.

"Is that so, my friend?" I said with a smirk.

He parted my knees to stand in between my legs, and then placed his hands on the counter by my hips. "Yes, that's so," he whispered, his gaze flitting between my eyes and my lips. "I'm gonna kiss you, _friend_."

"I'm not stopping you."

My heart was pounding when he finally kissed me, and I struggled to stay still, not knowing where I could touch him without hurting him. He quickly got carried away, and I think he forgot himself as he reached for my hips to pull me toward him, then suddenly released me and stepped back with a groan.

"Shiiit," he hissed. "That fucking hurts…" he said, grimacing and clenching his hands at his sides.

"Is it how you were leaning?"

"I don't know."

"Do you need another pain pill?"

"No, I hate those fucking things. They make me groggy. I only want to use them at night."

I nodded in understanding. "Okay, look, the nurse said it might hurt if you get too… excited right now," I said gently, waving toward his groin area, "given the surgery and the broken ribs, which is why the daily exercise -"

"I know what she said," he snapped.

"Edward, don't-"

Before I could finish, one of the guards entered the room with his phone to his ear. "Okay, I'll tell them." He looked at us. "It's Carlisle. He wants to speak with you via video conference."

Edward's face contorted in anger, and he backed farther away from me. "Fucking great…" he hissed, and exited the room.

The guard watched him go and then looked back at me.

I sighed. "Thanks, Mark. Tell Carlisle I'll be on in five."

_~#~_

"How is he?" Alice asked when we spoke over video conference two days later.

"He's getting there," I said quietly.

She gave me a small smile. "He never was a very good patient, you know. Kind of ironic that he went into medicine."

"Don't they say doctors make the worst patients?"

"Yeah, but I hope he's not second-guessing his doctor's instructions, is he? He just used to be very cranky when he was sick."

"Oh, well, good then. Nice to know nothing has changed since he was a kid."

We laughed and then she bit her lip. "Jasper thinks he might benefit from speaking with someone."

I ran my hands through my hair and sighed. "Everyone thinks that… well, everyone but him. There's no use forcing the issue. He'll ask for help if or when he's ready."

"Do you really think he'll ask?"

I shook my head. "Probably not. He barely asks me. He hates being helpless."

"Yes, he does." She paused. "How are you holding up? You look tired."

"I know. I haven't been sleeping much. Bad dreams."

"Oh gosh, really? Have you been writing in that journal as Jasper suggested?"

"Yes, but please tell me you don't spend your dates discussing my confidential sessions with him."

"Now you know there's almost nothing that's confidential when it comes to me," she said with a wink. "But no, he wouldn't violate _that_ confidence. And neither would I."

"Thank you."

"Is _he_ writing?"

"No, he said he's not 'keeping a crappy diary.' "

"Have you shared yours with him?"

"Not yet, but I will whenever he's finally ready to talk."

She smiled. "Thank you for doing this. We're all so happy he has you."

"Alice, there's no need to thank me… you know I'd do anything for him."

"Yeah…" Suddenly, I heard a knock from off-camera, and Alice looked to her left and said, "Okay, Leah's here." She moved her chair over a bit as Leah sat down next to her.

"Hey, Swan."

"Hi, Leah. So, is there any chance Randy and Chuck have had a change of heart yet?" I asked halfheartedly.

"No, those two are damn good. They each gave us the same story; they were security specialists and were told by Caius that some criminals were hiding out at the house. They had done previous work for him and were called to guard the house before he could get a team there."

I didn't know how they could think anyone would buy that a police detective was going outside the department for help. It seemed ridiculous. However, Caius said there was a mole in the department who'd been leaking information, so he was going around a few of his colleagues to bring in the bad guys. The good news-to the extent that there was any right now-was that this notion of Caius allegedly claiming impropriety on the part of his fellow cops made him look slightly less heroic in the department's eyes.

However, when you looked at the list of crimes this story involved-conspiracy to commit fraud, bribery, assault, murder-none of the charges looked like they'd stick to these guys! Even the lesser charges of burglary, simple assault, and assault with a firearm were problematic, since Chuck and Randy maintained they were helping the police. Moreover, Chuck had called Caius from Jake's house, adding credibility to his story, and both claimed that Edward and I had attacked them before they'd had a chance to tell us they were there to "protect" Esme. It was our word against theirs.

"I don't get it. Don't they see that Randy can be directly connected to Demetri and Felix?"

"Yeah, but he claims that's why Caius asked for his assistance. Since Caius is coming out as a hero right now, their best bet is to say they were with the good guys."

"But there's no way they were in on this whole thing without making money off of it. They must have gotten paid somehow. There have to be bank accounts somewhere."

"We're looking, but their personal accounts are modest," Alice said.

"What about girlfriends? Boyfriends? Maybe they have accounts in their names?"

"None of them – including Demetri and Felix – have/had a serious relationship. Even Alec is a free agent. He's appeared at many different social functions with beautiful women on his arm, but he never stays with the same one for long. He does the "millionaire playboy" very well."

I thought about it. "Well, maybe no recent attachments, but how about eight to ten years ago?"

"That's exactly what Aro asked yesterday. You sure think alike," Leah marveled.

Of course we did; he trained me well. "Okay, what about other ties? Are there any broader connections that we'll have to worry about?"

"So far, we haven't encountered anything," Alice said. "Don't worry, Bella. With Aro and me assisting the investigation, you'll be safe. We'll find a way to bring Nicholas down."

"Does that mean we're free as soon as they arrest him?"

"Technically yes, but Aro says it's possible you'll have to stay put."

I'm sure my face showed my dismay. "For how long? Surely not through a trial!"

"After they've charged him, Aro will want another week to make sure everyone involved won't be coming after you," Leah said. "He's fucking amazing. Brilliant strategist. He's two steps ahead of the investigative team."

Alice nodded.

I smiled. "That doesn't surprise me. Okay, then we're only talking weeks."

"What the hell, Swan? You act like being locked away with your beautiful boyfriend is torture."

I looked at Alice quickly and then back to Leah, but before I could respond, Leah said, "Oh, speaking of beautiful boys, um, I got an email from Tyler. He's worried because you haven't responded to his calls or emails."

Tyler! God, I'd forgotten all about him. I grimaced. "I haven't checked anything. Is it even safe for me to check messages?"

"I can get them for you," Alice said. "And we can set you up with a secure temporary email that won't ID who or where you are."

I took a deep breath. "Jeez, I was supposed to see him when he came back-"

"Well, he gets back tomorrow," Leah said. "His trip was extended by a week, which is what he was calling to tell you."

"What do I even say? Clearly, I can't tell him about the investigation." I shook my head. "I'm not ready to deal with this. Could you email him back and tell him I had to leave town and will be in touch as soon as I can?"

Leah nodded. "Yeah, okay. But when the coast is clear, you're going to have to tell him what's up. I'm not breaking up with him for you."

"I wouldn't ask you to. I just hate the idea…"

Just then I heard some movement outside the room, and looked at my watch. "Oh, hey, it's getting close to lunchtime. Maybe Edward's up from his nap. I'm gonna go and take care of the patient. Thanks for the update."

I ended our link and opened the door, but saw no sign of him. What I did see, however, was my journal sitting open on the coffee table next to an armchair, and I hadn't left it there. While I had no problem with him seeing it, I'd hoped we'd be able to discuss it together. Hearing the sounds of one of the exercise machines going, I made my way to the workout room and found him walking slowly on a treadmill.

"Hey, you're up and moving!" I said enthusiastically.

"Yeah."

"How long have you been awake?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"Are you hungry at all? I could heat up some food," I offered.

"Nah, I'll handle it."

"Really? It's not a problem."

"I know it isn't. I should be able to heat up my own fucking lunch."

_Oh good, Mr. Cranky is back._

"All right then," I said backing away. "I'll… just get out of your way."

I was turning to go when he blurted, "So Tyler, huh?"

I whirled around. "Okay, I'm DONE. Please tell me this isn't what your attitude is about."

"My attitude?"

"Yeah, your shitty bug-up-your-ass attitude right now." I threw my hands up in the air. "What?"

"You'll _be in touch as soon as you can_?" he said, repeating what I'd said to Leah.

I was getting more annoyed by the second. "Well I can't talk to him right now, can I?"

"What are you going to say?"

"I haven't figured it out yet."

He narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

I huffed. "Look, I'm not about to email him a Dear John letter. I want to tell him directly and let him down gently. As it is, he may not be that upset, since we only went out a couple of times. But he's a nice guy, and I don't want to hurt him if I can avoid it."

He rolled his eyes.

"Edward, stop! Just stop," I said walking over to him and pressing the pause button on his machine. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing." he said quickly.

I raised an eyebrow and pursed my lips, staring silently.

"Everything… Fuck."

He ran his hands over his face. "I went looking for you when I woke up, and I heard you talking with Alice. She was right about me; I always hated being sick as a kid, but this is worse. I was a doctor. I know how long this recovery can take, and it's driving me crazy. I don't like relying on others for help, particularly since it's been just me for so long."

He stepped off the treadmill, went over to the bench, and winced a little as he sat. "I was trying not to eavesdrop, and then I heard her mention your journal. It was just sitting on the chair, so I opened it, merely curious to see how full it was. The next thing I knew, I was reading it." He paused and looked down at his lap. "Not only were you spot-on with your thoughts and observations about what I've been feeling, but I see you've been having bad dreams, which shocked the hell out of me. Then I heard Leah mention Tyler, and it just boiled over."

He sighed, looking pained.

"Suddenly I was overwhelmed, feeling irrationally jealous and also completely shitty about how unobservant I've been." He looked up at me. "Why haven't you said anything?"

"About the dreams?" He nodded, and I shrugged. "You've been preoccupied with your recovery and your family. I didn't want to bother you."

"I want you to bother me. You should be able to talk to me. I want to be there for you. It would make me feel less… useless."

"You're not useless. You're recovering from major trauma to your body." I walked slowly over to him. "I'm glad you want to be there for me, but that's a two-way street. I'm here for you, too. I don't mind helping you, and that includes listening if you want to discuss how you feel about your family. I mean, I'm not a therapist but I am your… girlfriend?" I said. "With the emphasis being on _friend_, right now. No matter what, you need to remember that."

_Whenever I call you friend…_

"Girlfriend," he said, testing the word, then shook his head. "You're so much more than that to me." He gave me a sad smile. "So much for the honeymoon phase of our relationship. We got one afternoon of "honey" and jumped right into the "I'm-sick, care-for-me" phase."

"Well, considering that we started with the "help-me-run-away-from-the-bad-guy" phase, did you expect anything different?" I said with a shrug. "This is just us."

_Everywhere we are, you and I were meant to be…_

I ran my hand through his hair. "This phase isn't going to last forever, you know. We'll get past the bad times and then our good times will be wonderful, don't you think?"

_I think about the times to come, knowing I will be the lucky one…_

"If you're willing to put up with me during all this, we should make it through anything, including interactions with Esme and Carlisle." He reached up for my hand and squeezed it. "Can I just say that it bugs the shit out of me that my mother paid for that nurse, and it drives me crazy that you speak with him?"

"I know, but it's not like I can ignore your father, Edward. He's part of the investigation." I paused. "And, if we're going to be in this relationship, you can't dictate who I can and cannot talk to. They've been nothing but nice and helpful to me through this ordeal. Trust me, I'm not going to start inviting them over for tea or forcing you to meet with them, but I won't be rude to them just because you are."

He put his hands on his knees and sat staring at them. He looked torn, but I could tell he was considering what I'd said.

I knelt in front of him, putting myself in his line of vision as I sat back on my ankles. "We make a great team. I think we proved that last week. But that doesn't mean we'll always agree. It just means we need to make sure we try to work through the issue when we don't."

I placed my hands over his and when he looked up into my eyes, I continued. "Promise me you won't shut down or jump to conclusions when you think I've done something you don't like, and that you'll stop being a pain in the ass in general. And I'll promise to do the same."

"Are we making vows now?" he whispered, his eyes shining as he slowly smiled.

I winked. "Just some small ones. Do you promise?"

He nodded, his smile widening. "I do."

And with that we began a new phase of our relationship as we got to know each other in an entirely different way. We moved past the superficial late-night chats, past the rushed, overwhelming revelations of our run-for-your-life road trip, _temporarily_ past our frantic physical need for each other – because that hadn't waned, merely been put on the backburner until he was ready - and began to really talk. About everything: his feelings, my dreams, our childhoods, our wishes for the future.

I learned about his family money and how rich they really were, shocked to learn they had a vineyard in Napa, among other properties. Then we discussed how to raise kids who didn't expect the world on a silver platter.

I told him story after story about growing up with Grams and Mr. Aro, and he expressed his sorrow that he'd never met her. We also discussed things we couldn't wait to show each other and do with one another; his included some secluded spot he loved near his family vineyard where he planned to have me naked.

We talked while we cooked, worked out and before we fell asleep at night. We worked on the foundation of our romance - friendship and trust – and things got exponentially easier.

~#~

On July 30, just over three weeks after the showdown at Esme's, the smoking gun was found at last.

Ironically, it was a model who provided the details needed to get Alec, although it wasn't one of his former gals: it was Caius's. JayN, a somewhat successful print and runway model, had been Caius's on and off 'girlfriend,' if you could call her that, ten years ago, when she was just brown-haired, blue-eyed Jane Newmark. She was quite different now, having gone blond and enhancing her looks with both nose and boob jobs. She moved to New York in 2002 to break into the fashion world.

According to Alice, when the investigators walked up to her on a photo shoot in Florida, JayN said, _"I was wondering when you'd show up. A friend emailed me the news about Caius two weeks ago."_

She then informed them that she wanted to have her lawyer present before she spoke with them.

They'd merely come down looking for information on Caius, having just stumbled upon her connection to him. But her next words got the ball rolling: _"I can give you Alec. There's no way Caius should take the blame for everything, and that little weasel will definitely try to pin it all on him."_

As it turned out, back before he became Carlisle's mentee, Caius used to like to record his sexcapades with Jane, and then watch them with her, particularly when he was high on coke. On occasion, Alec joined in on the sex – but not the taping. Or at least, not to their knowledge, since Jane was the one who liked to record everything.

So one night, when she was passed out on the bed, Caius and Alec got to talking. Alec had just made partner at a VC, but didn't know if he'd get a chance for more ownership. Meanwhile, a few months prior, Caius had given Alec a few thousand dollars to get in on a deal, and it had paid off tenfold. Caius wanted in on more deals, and Alec mentioned that they could make a fortune if they could just get a few researchers on their side. A year later, Alec started VolcaniC and, with Caius's help, they happened to hit it big on some key deals.

It worked like this: CR Walden was supposedly a rich investor who would throw in seed funding during the initial, or "angel" rounds. As head of VolcaniC, Alec certified CR Walden as an accredited investor – one who was legally able to provide funding because of his net wealth. But CR Walden didn't exist: It stood for **C**harles **Wald**man and **R**andall Gre**en**. While neither of them had much money to begin with, after a certain point the CR Walden account did.

They were able to fly under the radar by handing it off. Alec would tell Caius which clinical trials had the most potential for payoff, but could have problems with their data. Caius told Chuck and Randy, who determined which researchers might be amenable to a little extra cash, and got the money out of the CR Walden account. They passed it to Demetri and Felix, who gave the information about who would be coming to Victoria at the drop-off spot. Or Jane, back in the day.

Jane only participated in the payouts once or twice before she left to launch her career in New York. What got her moving was the night Alec showed up at her apartment for a romp with her and Caius. That night, Alec said to Caius "_I_ _hope kissing up to your FBI friend is working, because the two doctors could spell problems for the trial currently underway. Those two need to go._"

A few weeks later, she told Caius she was moving. They hadn't been really serious, and he'd known she planned to do it eventually. Since they were really at the beginning of the scheme, and they figured her to be an airhead, they didn't think she could do any damage, unlike Victoria later.

Clearly they were wrong. She'd saved the threesome tapes as her own insurance should they turn on her. Once the investigative team had this information, they got Randy and Chuck to sing.

And so we continued to wait.

"How much longer did Leah say?" Edward asked, as he walked on his treadmill.

"A week, maybe two," I said as I jogged next to him. "By next week they should be able to convene a grand jury."

"Seems fast."

"It is, but the evidence is so clear, the only thing missing is a tape of Alec saying 'make it so.' "

He huffed. "And then we're free?"

"Well, shortly after the proceedings start, yes. In theory, there'll be no more need for us to be in hiding, because our testimony, should they call on us, is relatively minor evidence compared to JayN's tapes, the bank records, videos, and data they've put together." I thought about it. "Well, my testimony would be minor; yours is more important because you stumbled upon their scheme first. You'd have to recount what happened with the drug research you were doing with James. You may even have to discuss what happened with Tanya."

I glanced at his scowling face, then slowed my run until I was at a full stop, touched his hand and said, "But that's only if they think they can get him for felony murder. Since Demetri, Felix and Caius were the ones who did the dirty work there, it's more likely they'll keep it limited to the clinical trial bribery and the fraud."

His face softened. "So you're stuck with me for a bit longer," he said.

"Yeah, it's torture," I affirmed sarcastically as I stepped away and went over to the mat behind him. I got my notes and readied myself to try one of my mom's most difficult and favorite poses.

This time away from society had some benefits. I was in the best shape of my life, between running and yoga. And Edward was rapidly improving. While he had yet to be "fully functional," we figured it wouldn't be much longer, based on his reactions while we cuddled in bed. I was in no rush; I'd waited this long for him, I'd wait as long as he needed.

I read through my instructions, then got into a warrior pose for the starting position. I had to search on the internet to find it, because it had been fourteen years since I'd seen Mom do this. I breathed in deeply, contorted until I was in the right position, found my center, and held my standing split.

I didn't notice the treadmill behind me was no longer going until I heard his hiss. "Holy fucking shit!" he exclaimed. It surprised the hell out of me and sent me toppling over.

"What?" I said, looking up at him from my mat.

His mouth was hanging open. "You're really freakin' bendy."

I grinned up at him. "I told you you hadn't seen anything yet."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "Is that so? What else can you do?"

"Are you sure you should be watching? I know how much my flexibility," I said, doing a backbend into a stand a foot away from him, "turns you on…"

He groaned and bit his lip. "No, I'm not sure, but damn if I don't want to see what you've got." He took a step closer and grinned. "Maybe I _should _watch. It could be part of my therapy…"

~#~

_The dream is not the same. I know it's a dream... I can tell it is, and yet it feels so real.  
_

_There's no grocery store, no hostages, no closet full of shoe boxes, and no search for a gun. There's just a meadow, and his bike is nearby. There's a blanket. There's warm sunlight. There's a picnic basket. And there's us. _

_Hands caress my heated skin. Warm breath dances over my ear. Lips and tongue taste my neck. Large "boat" pokes at my back…_

_I moan as he explores me. "I want you, baby," he says as he slowly pulls down my underwear. _

_I turn my head to look at him. "Can you?" I ask dream Edward. _

"_Finally, yes. I'm up for it," he says with a smirk, taking my hand and wrapping it around him. _

I blinked and the daylight and flowers and trees disappeared. My eyes adjusted and I realized we were in our cabin bedroom. This wasn't a dream.

He moved his hand down past my stomach to touch me where I needed him to. The sensations were amazing, and his beautiful eyes gazed at me, filled with desire as I stroked him.

"Where do you want me?" I whispered as his fingers moved in me, getting me closer by the second.

"Finish first, then climb on top."

And so I did.

It wasn't quite like our time together during the afternoon of the showdown, but it was enough.

And it was so much better than the dream.

~#~

Two weeks later, seventeen Bay Area and two Los Angeles residents were indicted on various charges including bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. All of the defendants were arrested fairly quickly.

Alec Nicholas eventually pled guilty to bribery and securities fraud. Once he got to prison, the bad news really began as the civil cases against him began to pile up. While he managed to avoid a life sentence with his plea bargain, between the legal fees and the return of the illegal gains made on the IPOs, he was going to be broke when he finally got out.

Chuck and Randy received reduced sentences in exchange for their testimony against Alec, however they still went to jail for bribery and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

JayN received full immunity for her participation early on in handling the payoffs in exchange for her testimony. This ended up being a nice boost for her career: the model-turned-heroine who helped bring down the genius investor. She was suddenly the IT girl.

There was a huge public outcry over the idea of tampering with the clinical trials. There would be detailed investigations launched into how much damage occurred because of their scheme, but proving that _their_ actions caused any physical harm to patients would be difficult.

What Alec and Caius had effectively done was make trials earlier in the process look better than they were to generate the interest in and push up the initial public offerings. Adverse effects of the drugs would show up later, after the company was public, and slow down the time to get FDA approval; in most cases, the later phase trials brought other issues/effects to light. Only the drug that James and Edward found had truly caused damage and it was pulled off the market during phase IV trials. Who's to say that wouldn't have happened anyway?

The media frenzy was overwhelming. Everyone wanted a statement from us. Everyone wanted to get THE exclusive with me, Edward, Jake, and Nessie.

The news was fantastic publicity for Jake's shops. Our roles in uncovering the conspiracy made Jake even more of a local celebrity than he'd been before. Quil's and Nessie's roles in the rescue gave them instant fame as well. Moreover, his business picked up when it came to light that my rescuer, Edward, was a client. People really loved that angle. His Big Bike Shop was suddenly flooded with requests for custom work.

The news even had a bit of spillover effect on Emmett and Rose's classic car restoration business, as the boys' part in it all gave them a little more notoriety. People loved a good buddy story, and having two ex-cons come to help out strangers on behalf of their friend and his girlfriend was a great human interest story.

And then there was me and Edward. Our story fascinated the media to no end, and why not? It included a romance that started on the radio, a knight in shining armor coming to help, his damsel in distress taking down the thugs, an unusual connection to the bad guys, and a son turned in by his father. Even KFOG tried to cash in on the coverage, playing our clips quite often and having their DJs talk about the Great Treasure Hunt's role in all of this.

Of course, this effectively handled my "break-up" with Tyler, but I still wanted to talk to him and give him the entire story, and as soon as we were free, I did just that. He was disappointed, but bowed out gracefully.

However, unlike Jake or the McCartys, fame didn't enhance our lifestyles; in fact, it practically crippled it. Edward's late-night callers constantly wanted to discuss what happened, so he had to change the show format. He still discussed trivia, but had to eliminate the call-in segment. It really changed the dynamic. Everywhere we went, someone snapped a photo of us or tried to talk to us, and suddenly I had a small taste of what Brangelina must go through. It was suffocating. Soon, we rarely left our apartments.

Then one day, as I was considering whether I should do a People or Oprah interview, Aro surprised me by telling me about my twenty-seventh birthday present…

…and just like that, life got better.

Almost a year after I'd moved to the west coast to start a new life, I found myself relocating again. However, unlike the first move when I'd left it all behind to go to a strange city, I was very familiar with my new home. The Del Mar house that Aro and Grams rented during their summers in San Diego was mine. Aro had purchased it years ago, as soon as it became available, with every intention of giving it to me. As it turned out, it was lucky we'd been estranged when he bought it: had I owned it when I was married to Mike, it might have been taken during our divorce.

I paid my cab driver, grabbed my suitcases from the trunk, and then stood on the front walk admiring the view. I instantly noted the absence of visible cameras around the property, but I knew they were there. Aro had been in charge of the home security system, and I was sure it was state-of-the-art. In addition, I had no doubt I had my own personal secret service, somehow invisible to me, also thanks to my grandfather. Aro was a very wealthy man, having invested his and Grams' money well. And suddenly, I was wealthy too. I now had the resources to start over, and it was only a matter of figuring out what that meant.

Edward was wealthy as well, if he wanted to be. Esme and Carlisle were ready to give him back his trust fund, but he wasn't yet open to it, and I didn't push him. However, he was willing to consider therapy, and Jasper had recommended a nice doctor down in San Diego. For him, it was a big step forward.

Carlisle announced his retirement from the Bureau after the fates of Alec, Randy and Chuck were sealed. He and Esme entered counseling to try to come to terms with what they'd done to Edward and each other. While this event opened up a lot of old wounds for the family, I believe it also set them on the slow road to healing. Only time would tell whether Edward would ever forgive his dad.

I walked through the house, in awe over the improvements and upgrades that had been made, thanks to Esme and Alice. They worked closely with Nessie, who was most familiar with my "style," whatever that was. Well, leave it to them to know; it was perfect. I smiled as I peeked in the bedrooms and bathrooms, taking in the color schemes they'd chosen that matched my taste completely. The kitchen was a wonder, and I almost couldn't wait to get cooking.

They'd also placed many personal effects throughout the house. The photos nearly brought me to tears. Everywhere I looked there was a memory. Our Team Jacob pic. A photo from Leah's wedding. Pictures Aro provided of me as a child with my parents, and him and Grams. Some candids of me and Edward that I'd never seen. All were framed in a variety of silver-toned frames and sitting on side tables, shelves… and on top of a beautiful baby-grand piano that sat in the corner of the family room.

I continued through the house until I made it to the backyard door. Stepping outside, I admired the amazing landscape: the lush green succulents and colorful flowers, the thick bushes and tall trees that enveloped the property, providing complete privacy from my neighbors. The view of the ocean from high on this perch was breathtaking, and I noted that someone had set up a hammock under two trees, which was the perfect spot to recline and read, or just admire the view.

As I scanned the backyard in wonder, I immediately noted a splash of yellow off to the left side. I walked closer and grinned when I realized what I was seeing.

_Tie a yellow ribbon round the old… palm tree…_

I reached out to touch the ribbon when I suddenly realized I wasn't alone. I sensed him before he even said a word.

"You know," I said, "the guy in the song was away for three years… we've only been apart for three days."

His wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly to him as he kissed my neck.

"But they were three long days. And I wanted to be very clear about my feelings for you."

"I don't think I could have misinterpreted your intentions three nights ago," I said, reminding him of our long night and morning together before I'd headed off to Napa to help Nessie with some wedding planning and to attend her bridal shower/spa weekend. "You were quite clear." I turned to face him. He was wearing a leather jacket, jeans, and a pale yellow t-shirt. "You know, yellow isn't really your color."

"Okay, Tim Gunn," he said, glancing at his shirt, "but I'll have you know that I don't expect to be wearing this shirt, or any of these clothes, for very long. I thought it was more symbolic. With you, it's all about clarity." Putting his hands on my waist, he pulled me to him, dipped his head down, and kissed me tenderly.

Oh, man, three days away were too much! We hadn't been apart for that long since the first night I showed up at his apartment. I stood on my toes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and really kissed back.

Too soon we had to break for air. Pulling back to look at me, he brushed my cheek and said, "Who loves you, pretty baby?"

I gasped. "Did you just quote Frankie Valli?"

"Uh, nooo," he said slowly, "I quoted Kojak, and added the "pretty". I should have said "beautiful". Nevertheless," he began with a smile, "that doesn't make the words any less appropriate: "Who's gonna help you through the night?" And you did come to me when you needed help."

I shook my head incredulously as I grinned at him. "First Tony Orlando and Dawn, and now Frankie Valli. Edward Cullen, are you going soft on me?"

He raised an eyebrow, then moved his hands to my butt and pulled me tighter against him. "You tell me."

_Damn! Say hello to my, uh, not-so-little friend!_

"Already? With just one kiss?" I asked, marveling at the complete return of his libido.

"Only for you, darlin'," he said, giving me _the look_. Then he glanced at the house and nodded toward it. "Did you see the piano inside?"

"I did!" I wiped the grin off my face and gave him the big, innocent eyes. "Will you be visiting it much?"

His brows furrowed. "Visiting?"

"Your piano, in my house?" I clarified. "Feel free to come by and give me lessons. You know I love the piano men."

He snorted as he caught on. "You're crazy if you think I'm going anywhere, sweetheart." He squeezed my butt. "You're all I ever needed; baby, you're the one."

I pushed against his chest so he'd let go of me, and took a step back. "Hold it," I said, splaying my hands in front of me. "When they did your emergency surgery, did they hit your _musical-tastes _organ? Seriously, is it like when they cut Samson's hair? That's a nineties song!"

He shrugged. "Just trying to get us into the now."

"Okay, if you consider "the now" to be twenty years ago."

"Moving us up a few decades at a time."

I tapped my lip with my finger and looked up as if considering this. "Well, at least I was _alive_ when that song came out, unlike the other stuff we've discussed."

He folded his arms across his chest and smirked. "Bella, are you calling me an old man again?"

I shrugged. "You're the one making Kojak references; I only know about him from _Foul Play_." Then I got closer to him. "But what if I am?"

"Oh darlin', this old man has no problem keeping up with you." He grabbed me and pulled me flush against him. "I think we both need to move out of the past, don't you?"

"Yes," I whispered as I pulled down his face and kissed him again.

Our kiss quickly became heated and his hands started roaming. I was considering a throw-down right here in the backyard when suddenly my phone started vibrating between our bodies. We broke apart and I quickly pulled it out of my pocket to see a text message from Alice:

_**GET A ROOM!**_

I groaned and looked around the yard. "Ugh, cameras." I texted her back: _**STOP LOOKING, NOSY!**_

I grabbed his hand and pulled him along with me as we walked back toward the house. When we were close to the door, I looked up. "Is there a way to turn those off?" I asked, gesturing at the cameras.

"Sure, if we need to. Why?"

I put my hand on the house. "This is a nice wall."

His eyes widened and then he cocked his head and licked his lips. "There are a lot of nice walls in the house too."

"Really? I didn't notice! Maybe you can show me some."

He grinned and took a step back. "Hold on," he said, then quickly strode across the yard and grabbed the ribbon from the tree and walked back to me.

Noting my puzzled expression, he said suggestively, "You never know what other _wood_ we might find inside for you to wrap ribbons… or other things around." He opened the door and gestured inside. "Welcome home."

~#~

Jake and Nessie got married at the end of October on a warm, beautiful day in Napa at the Platt Family Vineyard. I was maid of honor and unofficial best man, although Jake's dad did the honors there. The wedding was really lovely and ended up being a nice reunion. Everyone I loved and cared about was there. Jake and Nessie had invited friends and family, including those who had helped them out of the mess. Leah, Sam, Angela and Ben attended. Quil. Embry and Bailey Call. Alice and Jasper. The McCartys and the Winthrops. Aro. Esme and Carlisle. Edward even managed to be civil to his parents, thanks to his therapy. All in good time…

The short bike ride we took the next day was even better. Edward finally took me on that picnic to his favorite place, and it looked just like he described. Wildflowers were still in bloom. Weeping willows surrounded us. Birds chirped, bees buzzed. A light breeze kept us cool under the bright sun. It was so much better than the dream.

We sat under a tree and munched on fruit and cheeses, and tried some of the Platt Family wine. We enjoyed the peacefulness of being away from the wedding and the media, from our families and friends. We talked and laughed, and marveled at how far we'd come over the year since we'd first spoken on air.

When we'd met, we were two people with drastically different perspectives on life. He was a man living moment-to-moment. I was a woman coping with the past and worrying about the future, with little enjoyment of today, always sacrificing the now. Our methods have merged somewhat, as have our perspectives. He now plans the future for us, and I enjoy and cherish every moment I can with him today.

You have to: life is too damn short.

The bad dreams come less frequently these days, but I know they'll never fully go away. While they're less scary than they once were, they still can wake me and have me shaking. And each time so far, he's been there, holding me, comforting me. He gets me through the night, just as he has since that first night we spoke.

~#~#~

It was a great day in his meadow.

He promised it would be secluded, and it was.

He promised he'd have me naked, and he did.

He promised he'd love me for as long as I'd have and want him.

I think it's gonna be a long, long time…

_The End._

* * *

**A/N2: Whew, it is done. While I have thoughts about life after this little adventure for Izzy and Tony, I'm going to Let it Be for now (yes, yet another 70s song reference).**

**Soooo, maybe it is too much but after a year of working on this one, I need to hand out some thank yous. ** **If you don't want to read the rest, I thank you so much for reading and humbly ask that you PLEASE:**

**1. jump down to that little review button;  
2. click on it; and  
3. leave a review. **

**Otherwise, read on…**

Are you still there? Okay:

_A big fat tackle-hug thank you to the lovely and 'red-pen' wielding Irritable Grizzzly. I didn't have pre-readers and betas; I only had Grizzz, and she sorta played both roles. I let her know where I was going and what might change in upcoming chapters and she was my reasonableness test. Muah, IG!_

_Thank you to MrsEdwardCullenP and Milk40, two writers/friends who were very patient and understanding when I couldn't get to edit their stories as fast as I wished. Hugs, dear ladies._

_Thanks to the reviews/recs on various blogs, websites, stories and tweets, I know many of you found my story. I don't know everyone who did this for me, so I apologize if I miss anyone, but thank you to: ginginlee and TwiFic Promotions/The Twilight Awards, Missypooh, nerac, Mac214, secamimom, Kassiah and The Fictionators, DeeDreamer and Random Acts of Rob, MsMomo and The Lemonade Stand, TwiCarol and Jasper's Naughty Girls, and cosmogirl7481, Marvar, Ironic Twist, spanglemaker9, afoolishmortal, DiamondHeart78 and KitsuShel for their recs in their stories or on ADF. _

_Finally, thank you to all of you for taking the time to read this and for sharing in my RL experiences, dreams and lyrics/movie lines that run through my head. As I stated in my AV Series, my FFn/Twitter name tells you for whom I started writing. However, your reviews and PMs kept it fun for me, particularly when you shared your musical memories/favorites._

_I don't have any plans for a new story, but keep me or my outtakes on alert as I do have plans for one more EPOV outtake and perhaps one or two from my American Vampire Series. If there is another massive FGB auction, I might join in that as well if I can._

_As is typical, I ask and I respectfully hope that you'll acquiesce to my plea: _

_Please leave a review._

_I close with one more set of lyrics from the 70s: _

_I'm so glad we had this time together  
Just to have a laugh or sing a song  
Seems we just get started and before you know it  
Comes the time we have to say: So long…_

_(…and thanks for all the fish!)_

_;)_

_ALE_

* * *

_Post A/N: Here at last is the final (almost all) 70's playlist for Tunes with Tony Masen. The link to this playlist is now on my profile. All not mine__: _

_Eagles – Lyin' Eyes  
Billy Joel – Say Goodbye to Hollywood  
John Lennon – Whatever Gets You Through the Night  
ABBA – Take a Chance on Me  
Barry Manilow – Ready to Take a Chance Again  
Steve Miller Band – Fly Like an Eagle  
The Guess Who – No Time  
Queen – We Are the Champions  
Don McLean – American Pie  
Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way  
Styx – Renegade  
Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run  
Santana – She's Not There (outtake)  
Journey – Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'  
Aerosmith – Dream On  
Boston – Peace of Mind  
Paul Simon – Mother and Child Reunion (mentioned)  
Kansas – Carry on Wayward Son  
Foreigner – Feels Like the First Time  
Wings – Band on the Run (mentioned)  
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird (mentioned)  
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (mentioned)  
Derek & The Dominos – Layla (mentioned)  
Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven (mentioned)  
Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb (mentioned)  
Eagles – Take It to the Limit (mentioned)  
Foreigner – Double Vision (mentioned)  
Thin Lizzy – The Boys are Back in Town  
Jackson Browne – Running on Empty  
Three Dog Night – Mama Told Me Not to Come  
ELO – Do Ya  
The Partridge Family – I Think I Love You (mentioned)  
Peter Frampton – Show Me the Way (outtake)  
Wings – Live and Let Die  
The Moody Blues – Isn't Life Strange  
Kenny Loggins (w/Stevie Nicks) – Whenever I Call You Friend  
Tony Orlando & Dawn – Tie a Yellow Ribbon  
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – Who Loves You  
Elton John – The One and Rocket Man  
The Beatles – Let It Be (mentioned)  
Carol Burnett's Theme Song (mentioned)  
__Carly Simon __– Nobody Does It Better (outtake)_  



End file.
